What the Future Holds
by TheOnlineTypewriter
Summary: 18 years after Lady Midnight, the TMI group (Clace,Sizzy, Malec) are adults and parents. However, that doesn't mean life is any easier. When old yet new enemies surface, will the Shadowhunters be able to keep the world, and their lives, in one piece? Chapter come in pairs. Rated T due to references within chapters, plus some violence (It is TMI after all).
1. Chapter 1

**What the Future Holds**

 **Summary: 18 years after Lady Midnight, the TMI group (Clace,Sizzy, Malec) are adults and parents. However, that doesn't mean life is any easier. When old yet new enemies surface, will the Shadowhunters be able to keep the world, and their lives, in one piece? Chapter come in pairs. Rated T due to references within chapters, plus some violence (It is TMI after all).**

 **Chapter 1: An Ordinary Day...**

2030

It was a steaming hot day in New York City. Clarissa Herondale, Clary to her friends and husband, had just flopped onto a sofa inside the New York Institute. Her exhaustion wasn't caused just by the intense heat, but also due to trying to stop her two teenage children, William and Charlotte, from attempting to get a massive trebuchet into the Institute's weapons room. Of course, they were assisted by Jordan Lovelace, Will's parabatai. Clary laughed, remembering a similar scene from what seemed like a lifetime ago, with a particular blonde Herondale and his parabatai, the uncle to the assisting Lovelace. Clary nonchalantly ran her hand over the wedding rune on her other arm. Jace was in Idris at the Academy, giving a talk about the Dark War. Isabelle and Simon, Jordan's parents, were god-knows-where doing god-knows-what, whilst his sister, Cecily, was somewhere outside the Institute, but Clary could guess where she was. Clary's momentary serenity was broken by the front door of the Institute slamming. Clary walked into the the entrance hall and was met by Cecily Lovelace. She had her mother's hair and eyes, whilst she looked a lot like her father from a distance.

"What have your parents told you about slamming doors?" Scolded Clary. The teenage girl blushed slightly.

"Sorry, Aunt Clary." Apologised Cecily. Right at that moment, there was a momentously loud crash which seemingly came from the weapons room. Clary rolled her eyes.

"William Lucian Herondale! I told you 'do NOT touch that trebuchet'!" Bellowed Clary.

"It wasn't me!" Shouted Will from some unseen place.

"Downstairs, now! Bring your sister and parabatai." Ordered Clary, putting on her 'tough mum' persona. A few moments later, the teenage trio entered sheepishly. They looked a bit like the golden trio from the Harry Potter series: Will had inherited the Fairchild/Branwell colourings and hair, but inherited the Herondale personality. Charlotte was the opposite: a female doppelganger of Jace in appearance, but with Clary's creative flair and personality. She was mischievous though; she was a Herondale after all. Jordan completed the trio: an exact duplicate of his father, both in appearance and personality, even down to his need for glasses, though it was only for reading. Clary had offered to cure his sight problem with a rune, but Jordan had steadfastly refused.

"I told you not to mess about with that trebuchet." Scolded Clary. "Now, leave it alone. I will call your parents if you don't leave it, Jordan.

The threat hung in the air and the trio trudged away, Cecily following. As she walked away, Cecily left flecks of glitter on the floor, confirming Clary's suspicions: she had been visiting Alex, Magnus, Max, and Raphael. Cecily was Charlie's parabatai, but Charlie usually refused to accompany Cecily to Alec and Magnus' apartment, most likely due to her aversion to glitter. After dealing with the teenagers, Clary collapsed back onto a sofa and pondered about how she got to where she was.

2013

It was meant to be the happiest day of Clary's life. She was marrying the man she loved, Jace, who had proposed at the wedding of Isabelle, Clary's maid of honour, and Simon, Clary's parabatai. However, instead of the elation she was expecting, Clary felt incredibly nervous. She was standing, well, pacing in a small antechamber next to the large event hall, which was nestled deep in the corridors of the Institute. There was the faint sound of classical music. Jem, ex-Silent Brother, and temporary groomsman, had offered to play for the wedding after escorting Tessa in. His reasoning was that he wanted to, but couldn't, the last time he was at a Herondale's wedding (A fact that made his immortal wife smile in nostalgia and appreciation). Due to her nerves, Clary began to run through the details: Izzy was maid of honour, Alec was obviously the best man. Luke was taking on the responsibility of the father of the bride and suggenes. Alongside Izzy, the bridesmaids were Maia, Tessa, and Emma. The groomsmen for each were Simon, Jem, and Julian. The LA pair had come up, despite drama involving a lovesick warlock's dangerous spell, just for the wedding. Clary had an aversion to pairing them up, on the grounds they were parabatai, before realising the whole sleeping together thing was a mundane idea. Each of the bridesmaid/groomsmen pairs entered the hall, then it was Isabelle's turn. She exchanged an encouraging look with Clary; Isabelle knew about Clary's tension as she had married Simon the previous year. It was during the wedding reception that Jace had dropped onto one knee, in front of everyone, and proposed to Clary. Back to the present, and it was time for Clary and Luke to make their entrance. The hall was silent except for the quiet violin music. Clary immediately saw Jace, looking as handsome as ever, standing with Alec in a golden suit which made his hair seem to shimmer. His expression showed an emotion that Clary hadn't often seen from him: pure anxiety. Rather ironically, Jace's apparent anxiety relaxed Clary slightly. The redhead smiled at the blonde when they were level with each other. This made Jace smile and visibly sigh in relief. The ceremony passed quickly, with the exchange of material tokens and runes. Before she knew it, she and Jace were married and she was Clarissa Herondale. Well, Clarissa Fray Morgenstern Fairchild Wayland Morgenstern Lightwood Herondale. The wedding party then headed to one of the Institute's courtyards, where a large tent had been set up. The reception was an entertaining night. The roof of the tent was filled with what looked like stars, an illusion kindly provided by the joint effort Magnus and Tessa: Alec delivered a slightly drunken best man's speech, most likely as a bit of revenge for Jace's drunken outburst/speech at Isabelle's wedding. Emma and Julian brought congratulations from the Blackthorns remaining in L.A., saying that Livvy and Dru wanted to come but Diana had them 'really busy'. They also gifted the newlyweds with a photo album of the last time the Carstairs, Herondale, and Fairchild families had met, in the Victorian era. Below the pictures were the names of those pictured, in an elegant font. Pictured were William and Cecily Herondale, the latter becoming a Lightwood; Charlotte Fairchild Branwell, Clary's 'great-times-Raziel-knows' grandmother; there were pictures of Jem and Tessa, mostly with Will, who seemed to have black hair unlike Jace's blonde. The photo album even featured a Lovelace in the form of Jessamine. Clary and Jace gratefully thanked Julian and Emma. High ranking members of the Clave, including the Consul herself, congratulated the newlyweds. This made sense, as news of a high-ranking Shadowhunter missing the wedding of two heroes of the Dark War would run rampant in the Downworld and within the Shadowhunter community. The most memorable congratulations came from Clary's mum, who tearfully commented on how grown up Clary was, as well as warning Jace about the consequences of harming her daughter, much to Clary's chagrin and Luke's amusement.  
"I won't harm her in any way. It's my duty to protect her now, after all." Responded Jace, jokingly serious. This seemed to satisfy Jocelyn and she and Luke walked away to allow others to give their congratulations and gifts. The night was filled with music, love, dancing, and pure glee. Clary couldn't believe that she and Jace were married, she couldn't believe that _she_ was married. It did truly end up being the happiest day of Clary's life.

2030  
Clary was broken out of her reverie by a familiar voice in the entrance hall. She got up and ran into the hall; standing there was her husband and the father to her children. Jace looked slightly jet-lagged, and had an overnight bag slung over one shoulder, When Clary quite noisily entered the entrance hall, Jace dropped the overnight bag and ran over to his wife, pulling her in for a warm hug and kiss. A few moments after their lips separating, the couple were 'attacked' by two figures; Charlie and Will were hugging their parents tightly, a rare family moment.  
"I've missed you." Stated Clary to the taller blonde.  
"I've only been gone two days." Joked Jace.  
"Yeah, still." Commented Clary. "Will and Charlie can be a proper handful."  
This resulted in shouts of dissent from the children who promptly let go of their parents. Clary and Jace laughed at Charlie and Will's indignation, After they separated, the couple noticed Charlie and Will heading towards the front door of the Institute.  
"Where are you two going?" Queried Jace. "I just got home!"  
"We promised grandma and grandad we'd visit today." Informed Charlie.  
"Alright then. I guess I _am_ home early." Reasoned Jace. Charlie and Will exited the Institute. Jocelyn and Luke lived in a small apartment a few blocks away from the Institute.  
"They grow up so quick." Remarked Clary, jokingly. Jace smiled in response, and both reminisced about two days, one 16 years before and one a year and a half later.

2014

It was late at night in the Institute. Screams could be heard from one of the many bedrooms. Despite the pain suppression runes, Clary was in intense and excruciating pain. A Silent Brother stood over her, making sure the redhead woman stayed alive. Clary was in such pain because she was bringing a new life into the world. Her labour had been going on for around five hours, but apparently the progress was swift. Jace and Izzy had been sent for more towels whilst Simon sat at Clary's bedside, giving his parabatai strength. The to-be father and adoptive aunt burst in at that moment. Seeing the obviously shocking scene, Jace took that moment to faint, Izzy catching the towels as the blonde collapsed. For a new mother, with her and Simon's daughter Cecily being born six months prior, and her being 3 months pregnant with their second, Isabelle was in shape and and as fast as she had ever been. Jocelyn and Luke were absent due to them being stuck in Idris. They were quickly trying to find some way back to New York, in a hope to see their grandchild. The excruciating pain continued for what seemed like forever to Clary. Jace was brought back to consciousness, and sat next to his wife for moral support. The labour took another five hours, then there was the sound of wailing. However, before Clary could see her baby, she passed out from sheer exhaustion.

Clary woke up about three hours later in the early daylight hours of the morning. Jace sat next to the bed, asleep, with a bundle of blankets in his arms.  
"Hi." Greeted Clary groggily, waking Jace up.  
"Hey." Responded Jace, equally groggily.  
"Is that…?" Asked Clary, trailing off but gesturing to the bundle. Jace nodded and handed Clary the blanketed baby.  
"Meet our son, Clary." Whispered Jace, trying not to wake the baby. As soon as Clary saw her son's face, she was filled with an intense love for the newborn. The new parents had already decided the name for the child, with options for both a son and a daughter. The son now cradled by Clary was William Lucian Herondale, named for Jace's Victorian ancestor, as well as other members of the Herondale family, and of course, Luke, Clary's stepfather and the closest person she ever had to a dad.  
"Welcome to the world, William." Cooed Clary, before turning to Jace.  
"Are my mum and Luke here yet?" Asked Clary to her husband.  
"Yeah. They've met William. You've been out for three hours." Informed Jace.  
"Three hours? I think I should get up again." Remarked Clary, going to stand.  
"Oh no you're not." Retorted Jace "Brother Jeremiah said you have to rest at least six hours. You've just had a baby, Clary!"

2030  
"You would not stay in that bed." Laughed Jace.  
"You wouldn't let me get up!" Retorted Clary. Charlotte had made a slightly more dramatic entrance, with Clary requiring the Shadowhunter equivalent of a C-section. But soon enough, Charlotte Maryse Herondale joined the land of the living, and Will was an older brother. Back to the present, two things happened at the same moment: Simon and Izzy entered the room where Clary and Jace were standing, and Jace's phone began to ring. Jace took out his phone and saw it was Charlie ringing him. He stepped away from the trio to answer the call.  
"You might want to talk to Jordan about disagreeing with Will at some point." Remarked Clary to Simon and Isabelle.  
"Trebuchet?" Guessed Simon.  
"Trebuchet." Replied Clary.  
"I'm pretty sure Jordan was a fully willing participant. Alec told him about the time he and Jace tried." Informed Izzy. Clary went to say something else, but Jace interrupted by walking over. He looked incredibly worried, and the emotional link between Jace and Clary confirmed this for the redhead.  
"What's happened?" Asked Clary worriedly.  
"Will's disappeared on the way to Jocelyn and Luke's" Stated Jace, shocking the other three adults.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: ... And A Bizarre Night

 **A/N: Hi. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and enjoy this one. I'll respond to reviews at the end of the chapter, so see you then. A quick note,** _ **Italics**_ **mean it's a short-term flashback (Not a different year), or a thought depending on context.  
Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**

 _Previously:  
Clary went to say something else, but Jace interrupted by walking over. He looked incredibly worried, and the emotional link between Jace and Clary confirmed this for the redhead.  
"What's happened?" Asked Clary worriedly.  
"Will's disappeared on the way to Jocelyn and Luke's" Stated Jace, shocking the other three adults._

 **2030** **  
**Clary and Jace quickly sped through the streets of New York City on the demon-powered motorbike, the redhead clinging tightly onto her husband. The conversation from barely half an hour ago still rang vividly in her head.

" _What do you mean by 'he's disappeared'?" Asked Clary, still in shock.  
"Charlie's saying that they were walking to Jocelyn's and Luke's;" Explained Jace "She turned away for a second, but when she turned back, he was gone without a trace."  
"Are you sure it isn't Will playing a trick?" Queried Simon, referring to multiple times in the past when the Herondale children would pretend to disappear, just to spook out the two Lovelaces.  
"He would never do that to Charlie." Insisted Jace and Clary simultaneously. Isabelle and Simon accepted this response.  
"I'll call mum and Luke and tell them what's going on." Remarked Clary. She turned to Jace. "Tell Charlie to head there."  
"I'll get in touch with Alec and Magnus. More eyes on the problem may be useful." Commented Isabelle. Clary thanked her._

After that conversation, all of the Shadowhunters in the institute had sprung into action. Cecily was on her way to the Garroways to make sure Charlie was alright. Meanwhile, Simon was driving with Isabelle and Jordan to hopefully use the parabatai bond between Jordan and Will to find the young Herondale. Clary and Jace were biking around the streets surrounding the Institute, worriedly looking for their son. Suddenly, Clary's phone began to ring. She took it out and saw it was Tessa calling her. She quickly answered the phone, holding it between her cheek and shoulder.  
"What's going on, Tessa?" Asked Clary, shouting against the roar of the motorbike.  
"Clary, you and Jace need to get over to mine and Jem's." Remarked Tessa over the phone. Tessa and Jem lived in a studio apartment in the suburbs of Manhattan.  
"We're a bit busy at the moment, Tessa." Responded Clary, still shouting.  
"It's to do with Will." Stated Tessa, changing Clary's mind.  
"We'll be there straight away!" Declared Clary; she quickly relayed Tessa's information to Jace, who began to navigate towards the couple's apartment.

On the motorbike, it took around half an hour to reach the modest studio apartment that housed the Shadowhunter and Warlock couple.  
 _The second couple like that we know_ Thought Clary to herself. They rang the doorbell and were let in by Jem.  
"What do you have about Will?" Asked Jace and Clary simultaneously. At that moment, Tessa entered with a roll of what looked like papyrus.  
"You two will want to see this." Insisted Tessa, handing the worried parents the papyrus scroll.  
"This was posted through our door, but we couldn't get a look at the person who posted it." Explained Jem. Jace unrolled the papyrus, revealing a message in spidery handwriting. It read 'If you want Will Herondale back, bring me Tessa Gray. Columbus Park, Midnight. –M'  
"Why could they possibly want you?" Queried Clary.  
"I have no idea." Responded Tessa. "But we're going to find out."  
"You're doing what this M says?" Asked Jace, sounding as if Tessa had just said the stupidest thing in the world.  
"If it gets you your son back, I'm willing to follow one instruction." Retorted Tessa.  
"Alright." Stated Clary.  
"Clary, you seriously can't be agreeing with this." Remarked Jace. It wasn't often that Jace had to try and persuade Clary to change her mind; it was usually the other way round.  
"I wasn't finished, Jace." Scolded the redhead. "I agree that we should meet up with this 'M' to get Will back. But that doesn't mean you go alone, Tessa."

So that was how it ended up with Clary and Simon crouching in a bush on the outskirts of Columbus Park, watching for the mysterious 'M'. Tessa and Jem stood in the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Alec and Jace were at an elevated position, overlooking the park. Izzy was waiting with Jocelyn and Luke on the junction of Mulberry and Bayard, backup for if the situation went south. Also hiding around the outskirts of the park were the three other teenagers, who had insisted on joining their parents on the mission.

" _I have to go!" Insisted Jordan to the four adults, who stood in the entrance hall of the Institute, finishing fitting their weapons; also standing in the hall were Cecily and Charlie, having returned from the Garroways'  
"We don't know how powerful this 'M' is, Jordan" Remarked Izzy. "It's too risky.""  
"I don't care. Will's my parabatai. He's as much my responsibility as yours." Retorted Jordan, showing the importance of the matter; the only time Jordan would ever argue with his parents would be when it concerned Will.  
"Another pair of hands would be useful, Iz." Commented Simon.  
"Fine." Remarked Izzy.  
"I'm coming too." Said Charlie. Clary and Jace went to protest.  
"He's my brother. We protect our own." Argued Charlie. Her parents were quietened by her courage.  
"I'm going too!" Insisted Cecily, confusing both pairs of parents, as well as the two other teenagers.  
"Why? You're not Will's parabatai, or his family. Why do you 'need' to go?" Queried Simon confusedly.  
"I, uh, I… I'm Charlie's parabatai. You shouldn't split up parabatai, especially in battle." Remarked Cecily, trying to cover up the slight hesitation. The parents didn't even bother with arguing further. The teenagers had come prepared, already with knives and seraph blades clipped to their belts._

"I think your daughter has a crush on my son." Whispered Clary to Simon, making her parabatai smile and chuckle quietly.  
"Yeah. You picked up on that too. I wasn't like that when we were their age, was I?" Responded Simon, turning to face the redheaded Shadowhunter; Clary shook her head in response. There was a small breeze, so her movement didn't cause any more disturbance than there was already.  
"You were a _lot_ subtler." Assured Clary, before noticing movement in the park. A figure was moving towards Jem and Tessa. It took Clary a moment in the dark to see that it was actually two figures, with one dragging the other a rope tied around each arm. Clary immediately recognised Will as the bound figure, and gasped silently. Sensing his parabatai's worry, Simon placed a calming hand on her shoulder. The figure dragging Will forward had grey-black hair in the orange light of the street lights, and looked to be in his mid-40s, with incredibly pale skin. Clary noticed a flitter of shocked recognition pass over both Jem and Tessa's faces, but this disappeared as quickly as it appeared.  
"So you're M." Remarked Tessa. "I should have guessed."  
"Tessa Gray, I assume." Responded M coldly "It's nice to finally meet my father's murderer."  
Once again, Clary gasped. After they had been given the photo album by Julian and Emma, Clary and Jace had looked in the various history books available in the Institute library, as well as talking to Jem, Tessa, and Clary's distant cousins in the London Institute about the Victorian Shadowhunters. They had battled against Axel Mortmain, or 'the Magister', which had all climaxed with Tessa unleashing Ithuriel, the angel who had given both Jace and Clary, and therefore their children the star shaped scar, on him.  
"Axel Mortmain Jr., at your service." Remarked M.  
"I'm sorry. If you're Mortmain's son, you're-" Interjected Jem  
"192 years old. A vampire got me in the 1880s." Explained Mortmain. "Hence the midnight meeting. Now, don't talk to me about living beyond your years. After all, your husband seems to have cracked the secret of eternal youth, Tessa Herondale."  
Within the bush, Clary's eyes widened with realisation. Mortmain thought Will, Clary's and Jace's Will, was the same as Jem's and Tessa's Will.  
"Now, give yourself up, and your husband goes free." Instructed Mortmain. "Don't, and well…"  
Mortmain drew a sharp knife from a back pocket and placed it against Will's throat. In a panic, Clary jumped out of hiding, despite Simon's disagreement. Every figure in the park turned to the revealed woman.  
"Don't you _dare_ touch my son!" Shouted Clary, with all the fury she could muster. This shout was enough to make Mortmain loosen his grip on Will. The teenager took this moment to free himself and kick Mortmain where it hurt, causing the vampire to drop the knife. Mortmain scrambled for the knife and for Will, but an arrow thudded into the vampire's shoulder, causing Mortmain to scream in pain. He hastily pulled the arrow out and stood, hand over the wound.  
"You will pay for this. You shall learn to fear me." Spat Mortmain, before sprinting off. More concerned with Will, Clary let Mortmain flee. Clary ran to Will, and cut the ropes binding his wrists. With nobody to hide from, each of the teenagers and Simon left their concealed spots. Will, no longer bound, quickly hugged his mum, repeatedly thanking her, Tessa, and the Angel. After he had let go of Clary, Will was hug tackled by both Charlie and Jordan. Instead of hugging, Will and Cecily just smiled brightly at each other. With the situation resolved, the group of Shadowhunters headed back to the Institute.

It was about 1:30AM, and Charlie was sitting in her bedroom, reading. There was a knock on her door. She looked up to see Cecily standing in the doorframe.  
"Hey," Greeted Cecily. "Can we talk?"  
"Of course;" Responded Charlie, putting down her book. "What's up?"  
"It's about Will." Explained Cecily "I think I may have a crush on him…"

"What do you mean you have a crush on my sister?" Asked Jordan loudly, causing Will to go bright red.  
"I mean what I said." Answered Will.  
"You have a crush on Cecily, my sister?" Repeated Jordan.

"Yes, what about that is so hard to understand?" Queried Cecily.  
"It's just a bit shocking. So you have a crush on your brother's parabatai?" Responded Charlie.  
"Yes, I have a crush on my parabatai's brother and my brother's parabatai." Stated Cecily. "I know how confusing that is."

"Have you told anyone else?" Asked Jordan, genuinely interested in Will's 'matter'.  
"Who else would I tell?" Responded Will indignantly.  
"Charlie?!" Retorted Jordan.  
"She's got looser lips than you do." Commented Will. "She would never keep a secret from Cecily."  
"Fair enough." Responded Jordan. "Are you going to do anything about it?"

"I don't know yet." Answered Charlie honestly. Cecily nodded in understanding and appreciation.  
"I'll stand by you, no matter what." Commented Charlie. Cecily thanked Charlie and left the room. In the corridor, Cecily and Will walked past each other. Before they entered their respective rooms, the two exchanged smiles. However, both hid a storm of hidden emotions and thoughts. Inside their rooms, both teenagers exhaled, with the stress and nerves quickly dissipating. Their parabatai's sensed this, as well as hearing the two doors close, and realised what must have happened. This caused the parabatai and siblings to smile. Little did they know that both of their conversations were able to be overheard by Clary downstairs, with enhanced senses runes. The conversation between Wil and Jordan made Clary smile, which was noticed by Jace.  
"What is it, Clary?" Jace Queried.  
"Our son has a crush." Stated Clary, making Jace smile.  
"Is it a particular Lovelace, by the name of Cecily?" Guessed Jace; Clary nodded in response.  
"Don't mention we know, though;" Instructed Clary. "I think that was meant to be a private conversation."  
"I understand that," Replied Jace. "But I can't promise anything."  
Izzy and Simon were also sitting in the lounge, so Clary relayed the information of Charlie's and Cecily's conversation. Both of the Lovelace parents smirked.  
"I told you." Simon remarked.  
"Yes, and I agreed with you." Izzy responded. "It _is_ obvious."

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. Now to respond to reviews:  
bienvenu: Thank you so much for appreciating the info. As for the typos, I wrote a lot of this on a tablet (autocorrect) and the American and British versions of the books use Raphael, so I'll be using that spelling.**

 **Please remember to review and I'll see you in the next chapter, which will be the beginning of a new event/couplet.  
Keep on Reading**

 **-ToAC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Foreign visitors...**

 **A/N: Hi. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and enjoy this one.  
Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**

2030 **  
**Clary, Jace, Simon, Izzy, and their children were standing in the library of the Institute, waiting for the arrival of a very special guest. Will, the four adults were standing. The four teenagers had crammed themselves into one of the small sofas in the room. Will and Cecily sat either end of the sofa, with Charlie and Jordan acting as a physical buffer. Coming to the New York Institute were three Shadowhunters from the Paris Institute, the first French visitors to the Institute since the Dark War, nearly 23 years before. Each of the children has been given a 'Gifted in tongues' rune, and Clary had applied one to herself, just for ease. There was a squeaky pop, and three Shadowhunters appeared in travelling clothes, and each carrying suitcases. It was a family affair: visiting were Jacques Arcargent, his wife Hélène, who was born a Bellefontaine, and their 15-year-old daughter Rosalie. Clary greeted her guests, the rune translating her words. Her thoughts were English, but she could hear the French coming out of her mouth.  
"Bienvenue à l'Institut de New York." (Welcome to the New York Institute) Clary greeted, smiling at the French guests. Jacques, a medium height, muscled man with a thinning head of dark hair, stepped forwards with his hand outstretched.  
"You must be Clarissa Herondale. It's an honour to meet you." Jacques's voice was a baritone, with a thick Parisian accent. Clary could faintly see the lines and curves of the 'gifted in tongues' rune on his shoulder.  
"Appelle-moi Clary, tout le monde fais." (Call me Clary, everybody does.) Clary shook Jacques hand and smiled. Hélène slightly pushed Rosalie towards the other teenagers before joining the rest of the adults.  
"We've heard a lot about you." Hélène commented. Hélène looked younger than Jacques by about 5 years, a tall, elegant woman with dark hair a similar shade to her husband's. Hélène had no refund to help with the language, as her mother was originally British, but had met Hélène's father in Idris at the Accords. Therefore, Hélène was fluent in both English and French. Rosalie had inherited her mother's elegant appearance, but her father's stature.  
"Je ne suis pas surpris." (I'm not surprised) Jace remarked, a smug grin on his face. "Ma femme _fais_ sauver le monde, et nous aidons." (My wife did save the world, and we helped.) Clary's rune meant she also understood what Jace was saying if she concentrated, as if he was speaking English. His statement caused Clary to roll her eyes, and the French guests to laugh. Meanwhile, over with the teenagers, there was a small silence.  
"Salut. Je m'appelle Charlotte, mais appelle-moi Charlie." (Hi. My name's Charlotte but call me Charlie) Charlie greeted, smiling at Rosalie. "Comment tu t'appelles?" (What's your name?)  
"I'm Rosalie, but you can call me Ros." Rosalie replied, smiling back. "Who are they?"  
'They' were the other three teenagers.  
"Je m'appelle Will. Je suis le frère aîné de Charlie." (My name is Will. I'm Charlie's elder brother) Will introduced himself.  
"Mon nom est Cecily. Je suis le parabatai de Charlie. Il est Jordan, mon petit frère." (My name's Cecily. I'm Charlie's parabatai He's Jordan, my little brother) Cecily greeted Rosalie.  
"Il est mon parabatai, aussi." (He's my parabatai, too.) Will sounded indignant.  
"Je peux dire pour moi-même." (I can speak for myself) Jordan was as indignant as Will. His statement made the four other teenagers chuckle, both are the indignation, and the unintentional French. There was just enough space for Ros to cram herself next to Cecily. The teenagers chatted idly, to the amusement of their parents. The scene reminded Jace of a similar scene 15 years prior.

2015 **  
**It was a mild day in autumn and the Herondales were in the library. Simon stood by a camera facing the sofa, and Clary sat on the sofa, cradling the infant Charlotte. Jace was standing aside, arguing slightly with the toddler Will who was already so much like his father. **  
**"Will, you have to sit down. It won't be a family picture without you." Jace insisted to the toddler, whose arms were firmly crossed. **  
**"No. I look silly." Will delivered this in the stubborn way most toddlers talked, as in he was always 100% right. Will has been dressed in a smart looking, buttoned shirt and dressy trousers. **  
**"You don't look silly. Do I look silly?" Jace was also dressed in a smart buttoned shirt and dress trousers. Will shook his head. Jace leant closer to his son. **  
**"Behave for the photo, and I'll give you extra ice cream at dinner." The promise was whispered as Clary would probably disagree, saying something along the lines of 'he'll be sick'. Will energetically nodded and walked back to the sofa with his dad for the photo.

2030 **  
**That particular photo was stowed in an album in Clary's and Jace's room, alongside other moments from the couple's life, from their wedding to the present. About 90% of the photos included one of both of their children. Jace was broken out of his reverie by the other adults laughing. Apparently, Jacques has made some sort of joke about the trip to the Institute. After a short conversation, the French guests were shown to their rooms and life went on for the inhabitants of the Institute. Spurred on by the memory of the photo, Jace practically dragged Clary to their shared room and the couple flicked through the pages, glimpsing moments from the past. After the photos of their wedding and their international honeymoon, there was a page dedicated to a single photo: a white stick with two clear red lines. Both adults vividly remembered that particular memory.

2013 **  
**It was a few weeks after Clary and Jace had returned from their whirlwind world tour of a honeymoon, and the redheaded woman was bent over a toilet, throwing up her breakfast. Her blonde husband worriedly entered the bathroom, proceeding to hold Clary's loose hair so she wouldn't get sick in it. After Clary had (involuntarily) emptied her stomach, she stood. **  
**"What's going on, Clary?" Jace and, face full of sheer worry for Clary's well-being. **  
**"I'm not sure." Clary lied. "It will pass though." **  
**She said this in a hope that it would assure her husband. Jace went to protest, but decided against it. As Clary and Jace went around their daily routines, the redheaded woman thought of the previous days: Telling Simon, who nearly jumped out of his skin in excitement; telling her mum and Luke, who the former of which looked like they were going to faint when they heard the news. Jace had been busy with some Clave related matter for the last few days, so that night provided the perfect opportunity for Clary to tell him the good news. That evening, as the inhabitants of the Institute ate a dinner from Taki's, Clary excused herself and walked to her and Jace's en-suite. She took a wrapped box from the cupboard under the sink, turn returned to the meal. Immediately, Jace noticed the 'present'. **  
**"What's that, Clary?" Jace voice betrayed his curiosity. Clary gave her husband the present. **  
**"Unwrap it." This was both a request and a command from Clary. Jace did so. Inside the wrapping paper was a cardboard box containing a mundane pregnancy test; Jace looked at it, an expression of shock mixed with confusion on his face.  
"Is that a pregnancy test?" Jace's tone had turned to shock. Clary nodded, grinning widely. Jace's face broke into a wide grin, and he pulled his pregnant wife into a tight hug.  
"We're having a baby!" Jace exclaimed to nobody in particular.

2030  
Remembering the happiness of that memory, the two adults smiled at each other. After looking through the rest of the photo album, the pair returned to their everyday routines. At about 18:30, the Institute's inhabitants and their guests were sitting in the dining room, eating a takeaway meal. Izzy had attempted to cook, but it went incredibly wrong; Clary was pretty sure they'd be cleaning the scorch marks and splatters for days. The meal was going fine then there was a sudden commotion. First, Jace's parabatai rune began to burn. Secondly, there was a loud clatter in the entrance hall. The adults ran to the entrance hall and saw Alec collapsed in the centre of the hall. Jace quickly ran and dropped by his parabatai's side. There was a wound on Alec's shoulder which was a dangerous shade of green.  
"Magnus - Demons - Danger." Alec's tone was pained, and after he had wheezed the three words, he passed out.  
"Par l'ange!" (By the Angel!) The exclamation came from Jacques. The other Shadowhunters who saw the scene simply stood in shocked silence

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed that.** **Please remember to review and I'll see you in the next chapter, which will be the conclusion of this event/couplet.  
Keep on Reading**

 **-ToAC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: …And Domestic Demonic Danger**

 **A/N: Hi. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and enjoy this one. I'll respond to reviews at the end of the chapter, so see you then.  
Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**

2030  
After Alec passed out, the other Shadowhunters sprang into action. Jacques and Simon jointly worked to carry the unconscious Alec to the infirmary; Jace and Clary also applied iratzes and other healing runes to help the unconscious Shadowhunter. It was about an hour before the elder Lightwood regained consciousness. When he did, Jace and Izzy were looking at him worriedly. Clary and Simon were also present, but both had dozed off. When Jace saw Alec coming back to consciousness, he shook Clary awake; the same happened between Izzy and Simon.  
"What happened, Alec?" Jace asked, getting straight to the point. When there was danger, Shadowhunters essentially ignored emotions.  
"Magnus and I were attacked by demons." Alec stated before giving a fuller account of events.

 _He, Magnus, Max and Raphael were all in a New York backstreet. Max and Raphael were portalling_ _to Idris to stay with Maryse and Robert in Alicante for a fortnight (The Clave's ban on the Lightwoods staying in Idris had been lifted shortly after Robert's appointment as the Inquisitor). The portal had been_ _drawn and opened, and Raphael had passed through_ _when the group was attacked by a horde of Shax_ _and Ravener_ _demons. Alec pushed Raphael through the portal before one of the demons smashed the rune circle, closing the portal. Alec had his bow handy and was able to take down some of the demons. Magnus threw magical fire at the others. However, one demon was able to dodge the arrows and magical fire, stabbing Alec through the shoulder. Magnus saw this and threw two spells: One at the demon, and one at Alec. There was a flash of light and Alec found himself in the entrance hall of the Institute._

Hearing this, the four other adults looked at each other, agreeing on what to do. The group got the location of the fight from Alec then began their action. The teenagers, including Ros, were told to stay and take care of Alec. Meanwhile, Clary, Jace, Simon, Izzy, Jacques, and Hélène armed up and headed out of the Institute.

The six adults quickly ran to the location of the fight. They saw a horde of demons trying to jump at Magnus, who was perched on a small ledge about 4 metres above the ground. When the six Shadowhunters arrived, the demons turned on them and began to charge. Almost immediately, the first demon was killed by Izzy catching it with her whip. Simon took a few more down with his bow before the demons reached the group. Each Shadowhunter drew and named a seraph blade, filling the backstreet with angelic light. They sliced a fiery path through the demons. Soon enough, all that was left of the demons was ash. Magnus jumped down to the ground, casting a cushioning spell as he landed.  
"Thank you for that. I may have overestimated my own ability. Is Alexander alright?"  
Clary nodded and Magnus sighed in relief. The demons dealt with, the Shadowhunters headed back to the Institute, accompanied by Magnus. When they entered the infirmary, Alec was sitting up in his bed, talking to Cecily and Jordan. Upon seeing Alec, Magnus ran ahead of the Shadowhunters and knelt by Alec's side. Not wanting to eavesdrop on an obviously personal conversation, Jordan and Cecily walked over to their parents. According to the pair, Charlie and Ros were in the greenhouse, whilst Will was in the kitchen, preparing some food for his adoptive uncle. The former of these raised Clary's and Jace's eyebrows, both remembering a similar memory between them from what seemed like a lifetime ago. However, the latter rose potential alarm bells; Will had seemingly inherited his aunt's cooking ability, or lack thereof. It ended up being no issue, though, as Will had made simple sandwiches (no cooking required). It was soon later that Alec was deemed 'healed' and he and Magnus departed to their apartment.

A few days later, the three French guests were all packed up and ready to go. Their business at the New York Institute, taking part in the Conclave's discussion on the jurisdiction of international Downworlder crimes, had been concluded. Most of the teenagers and adults said goodbye via a handshake, but Ros said an 'à bientôt' to Charlie by the stereotypical French greeting of a kiss on each cheek. After the guests had stepped through the portal, Will noticed his sister had gone rather red. He decided to ignore it, as it wasn't his concern. Cecily also noticed her parabatai's blush; she smiled as she had seen a similar blush on her own cheeks in a mirror after a conversation in Will. Intrigued, Cecily took her parabatai aside once the group had returned to the Institute.  
"What's up, Cecily?" Charlie queried to her parabatai and closest friend.  
"I noticed you blushing after Ros kissed you," Cecily stated, making Charlie blush again.  
"So? What about it?" Charlie sounded embarrassed.  
"I'm not trying to embarrass you;" Cecily assured. "I was just wondering if my guess was true: do you like Ros? I mean, like I like your brother."

The four parents were placing their seraph blades and other weapons back into the Institute's armoury when they heard a loud, high-pitched squeal. It sounded happy, so didn't worry any of the parents. However, the suddenness and volume were enough to make the quartet jump. It took the group a few moments to identify the squealer as Cecily, due to the higher pitch than even Charlie could reach.

Later, the two Herondale parents were sitting in their shared bedroom, just making idle small talk as Clary sketched some photos from the Shadowhunter Codex when there was a knock at the door. Jace walked over and opened the door to reveal Charlie standing there.  
"Dad, Mom, can I talk to you?" Charlie sounded nervous. Jace let his daughter into the room.  
"Of course, Charlie." Clary tried to boost the younger blonde's confidence.  
"Uh, well, I have to tell you guys something. I've already talked to Cec about it, and she pretty much told me that I should tell you guys…" Charlie trailed off slightly, trying to find the best way of wording her next statement.  
"You know you can tell us anything, sweetheart." Jace had adopted a caring tone, which he had developed shortly after Will was born.  
"I think- No, I know… Mum, dad, I'm gay. Or at least, I've got feelings for a girl." Charlie exhaled deeply afterwards. She looked as if she was about to start crying. She did start to a few moments after. The initial shock of the confession wore off instantaneously and both parents jumped up and pulled their daughter and youngest child into a warm, comforting hug.  
"Darling, being gay is nothing to worry about. You have a gay uncle whose partner is a glitter-loving warlock." Clary tried to sound assuring. "Trust me; we will love you, no matter what."  
There was a muffled 'thank you' from Charlie as she still clung tightly onto her parents. After her tears had dried up, Charlie separated from her parents.  
"Was it Ros?" Jace asked, referring to the girl who made Charlie realise her sexuality. Charlie nodded as an answer. Her parents smiled at their daughter and each other; their hunch from earlier had been right. Satisfied with what she had told her parents, Charlie bid Clary and Jace good night and headed to bed. She knew she would have to tell Will about it, but she was sort of hoping that her parents would as well. Will would be accepting, but it was hard enough for Charlie to come out to her parabatai and parents, and her brother would just be another difficult situation.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. Please remember to review and I'll see you in the next chapter, which will be the conclusion of this event/couplet.  
Keep on Reading**

 **-ToAC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Downworlder Teenagers…**

 **A/N: Welcome to chapter 5. Please remember to review, I would love to hear what you have to say and I will respond. I will also be posting snippets from this fic onto my fanfiction Blogspot (toacff Blogspot com) Make sure to stay until the end of the chapter where I'll respond to the reviews from the previous chapter.  
Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**

2030  
It was a mild summer's day in New York City. The Herondale family was on their way to Jocelyn's and Luke's apartment for a special birthday. Accompanying the Herondales were the two Lovelace children, whose parents were in Idris at the Academy, where Simon was giving a talk about Ascension. When they reached the Garroway house, Clary knocked on the door. Luke answered; the werewolf's hair had greyed slightly in the years since the Dark War.  
"Hi Grandpa;" Charlie greeted Luke happily. "How are you?"  
"I'm good, thank you for asking, Charlie. Amatis is waiting through in the lounge." Luke smiled at his (step) grandchildren as they passed.

2015  
It was a particularly cold February night, and the Herondales were over at the Garroways' house. They were there to let Jocelyn and Luke meet Charlotte, who was born a few weeks prior. There was a warm atmosphere with the adults talking in hushed tones, as both Charlotte and the toddler Will were asleep, the former held by her grandmother and the latter sprawled over his father. There was suddenly a loud, hurried knock at the door. It was loud enough to spring Will awake, but Charlotte was a deep sleeper, even as a baby. As Jocelyn was holding Charlotte, Luke went to answer the door. He came back to the room a few moments later, pale-faced and carrying a wicker basket.  
"What's wrong?" Clary's tone showed her worry about what had happened. Luke simply took a note out of the wicker basket and handed it to Clary.  
"'Please take care of my daughter. She was born on August 12th, and is a werewolf, as I am. I give her to you because I know that I can trust you to care for her throughout her life, a task I am unable to fulfil'." Clary read out the note to the intently listening adults. It was then that the bundle within the wicker basket began to move and cry. Without thinking, Luke picked up the baby from within the basket and cuddled it close. This quietened the baby.

It was an hour later, and the adults were discussing how to deal with the werewolf baby. Simon and Izzy had kindly come and collected Will, taking him back to the Institute for sleep. Clary kept Charlotte with her in case Charlotte needed to be fed. The werewolf baby had been passed to Jocelyn who looked at it lovingly. The baby had the same eye colour as Luke already, a bright blue.  
"We're keeping it." Jocelyn simply stated. Previously, Clary and Luke had been discussing various other options: giving the baby to the Praetor Lupus, trying to find the mother, asking the pack, etc. but Jocelyn's statement had stopped the argument.  
"You think we should keep her?" Luke sounded confused.  
"I raised Clary by myself, and that was trying to hide the shadow world and most of who she is. Raising a werewolf in a world with no secrets about the true reality will be a walk in the park in comparison." Jocelyn tone was calm, but assertive and definite. Luke smiled, though his body posture indicated that he was really worried about his new responsibilities. Jocelyn noticed her husband's body language and gave him a reassuring smile.  
"You'll be fine, Luke." Jocelyn assured her husband. Luke relaxed a little.

 **A/N: Sorry for this being short. I wrote the original first half, but it included everything I wanted to include. Therefore, I've split it into two parts and I'll submit the second half later. Please remember to read and review. And as always,  
Keep on Reading**

 **-ToAC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: … And Mundane Matters**

2030  
Clary, Jace, Jocelyn and Luke stood in the house's kitchen, whilst the five teenagers chatted and laughed in the lounge.  
"So, how did Amatis take the news?" Clary queried, referring to the fact that Luke and Jocelyn had said they would tell Amatis the truth about her being 'adopted' on her 16th birthday.  
"It turns out she had an inkling that that was the case, ever since something Cecily accidentally said." Luke explained. Jace gave Clary a look as if to say _that's your parabatai's fault._ Clary looked back at Jace with equal sass. However, realising his point, Clary turned back to her mum and stepfather.  
"Sorry. I thought Simon would be better at secret keeping, especially for me." Clary sounded quite embarrassed.  
The four parents continued their pleasant conversation, but noticed when a rather sudden silence descended in the lounge. The four, intrigued but worried moved slightly towards the door so they could hear what was being said.

In the lounge, the silence had fallen due to Charlie and Jordan looking at their respective parabatai expectantly. Amatis had been informed about Cecily's and Will's mutual secret feelings by the two younger siblings, and watched in anticipation.  
"So…" Will and Cecily remarked simultaneously, before going back to a slightly awkward silence. Charlie proceeded to nudge her parabatai then gesture at Will.  
"Will, could I possibly ask you something?" Cecily queried.  
"Doesn't that count as a question?" Will responded, before laughing awkwardly. "Sorry. What did you want to ask, Cecily?"  
"Uh…" Cecily rubbed the back of her head, embarrassedly. "Actually, could we talk outside?"  
Will nodded and followed Cecily out to the Garroways' back garden. Whilst the two younger siblings originally went to follow the pair, Amatis grabbed both of them and shook her head. A few minutes later, there was a squeal emanating from the garden. Cecily and Will speedily returned from the garden.  
"I assume he said yes." Amatis guessed. Will's and Cecily's intertwined hands answered Amatis' question for her. Both Will and Cecily were smiling widely and looked more relaxed than they had done for the last few days. The pair proceeded to sit back with their siblings and friend.

Satisfied with their eavesdropping, the parents returned to their chatting. Soon enough, the six Shadowhunters returned to the Institute. Cecily and Will were held back by Jace and Clary.  
"What's going on, Mum, Dad?" Will asked.  
"We heard the conversation that you guys had at the Garroways." Clary confessed. Will and Cecily kept neutral expressions as they had been taught, but a tinge of awkwardness and embarrassment could be seen in their body language.  
"What about it?" Cecily queried, keeping a neutral tone.  
"Well, we thought we'd tell you now that we're fine with you two dating." Jace remarked. Cecily and Will visibly relaxed.  
"My mum wasn't sure about Jace when we started dating. Neither was Maryse about me, and that put a bit strain on our relationship with each other." Clary explained. "We've known you two your entire lives, and there's no need to be unsure. You care for each other, and want to be together? Then you can be together."  
"Thank you, aunt Clary. Thank you, uncle Jace." Cecily responded with a massive grin. She hugged Will tightly and he hugged back. Cecily then left to talk to Charlie about what Clary and Jace had said. Will stayed put.  
"Thank you, Mum, Dad." Will remarked.  
"Look, Will, we've been watching you fall in love with Cecily since you found out what love was." Jace stated. "We were expecting this day for a while."  
This made Will smile. He nodded, then walked off, hoping to find Jordan.

When Cecily found Charlie, the latter was sitting in the library, reading. Sensing her parabatai's presence, Cecily put down the book.  
"What's up, Lovelace?" Charlie asked, smiling at the brunette.  
"Not much. I was just wondering about how you and Ros are doing." Cecily answered. Cecily dropped herself onto the sofa next to the younger Herondale.  
"Oh, we're doing fine. I talked to her last night." Charlie's voice was relaxed and happy. "Her family are visiting again in a few months."  
"That will be fun." Cecily responded. "Are you visiting France at any point soon?"  
"I've talked about it with my parents. I'm going for a week next month. We're just sorting out transport." Charlie stated. "I was planning on telling you as soon as the transport was confirmed."  
"I understand that. I just talked to your parents." Cecily replied, trying to keep the conversation going.  
"Oh, really, what did they say?" Charlie queried, leaning forwards.  
"They were just telling me and Will that it was fine that we were dating."

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. Please remember to read and review. Sorry if this was a bit short, but why is explained in the last chapter. See you in the next chapter, and as always –**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: First Dates…**

2030  
Will was standing in the entrance hall of the Institute, waiting worriedly. He was dressed smartly, in a dress shirt and trousers. Jordan walked into the entrance hall and immediately noticed his parabatai's anxiety. He walked over.  
"What's got you so nervous, Will?" Jordan asked.  
"It's my first date with Cecily tonight." Will answered, his voice showing how nervous he was about the date.  
"You'll be fine. I know you will." Jordan reassured Will. "I know you, and I know my sister."  
"Thank you." Will said, smiling. He then realised something else. "It isn't awkward, right? Me dating Cecily, that is?"  
Before Jordan could answer, a voice came from the top of the stairs.  
"I heard my name." Cecily stated, walking down the stairs. She was wearing a dress and cardigan with elbow-length sleeves. From her choice of clothes, to her hair and makeup, the sight of Cecily took Will's breath away. She was smiling brightly, and looked at Will with kind eyes. She came down the remainder of stairs and stood next to Will, looping her arm around his.  
"Hey Jordan;" Cecily greeted her brother, before turning to Will. "Are you ready to go?"  
Will nodded. Jordan smiled at the pair, appreciative of their happiness.  
"Have a good night. Don't get home too late." Jordan instructed, despite both Cecily and Will being elder than him.  
"Mum, dad, aunt Clary, and uncle Jace will be at the meeting with the vampires all night. It won't matter when we get back."  
"All the same…" Jordan remarked, trailing off. Cecily and Will chuckled before exiting the Institute.

The new couple had reservations at a fancy Downworld restaurant, a few blocks away from the Institute. The inhabitants of the Institute were well known by the restaurant owner, and were quite roundly liked by the clientele the restaurant received. On the way there, the couple chatted, with the conversation's topic moving to a funny story from the pairs' childhood.

2018  
It was a warm day in the middle of a bright, long, New York summer. Cecily and Will were standing in the Institute's training room, alongside mother and father, respectively.  
"So, today is your first day of training." Izzy stated. This made both 5-year olds' faces light up with joy. The two parents proceeded to hand the pair various training weapons. For the rest of the session, Izzy and Jace taught their eldest children how to use the various weapons against dummies. It also gave the two parents an idea of what sort of weapon the two would be most proficient with. At one point, Izzy handed Cecily a training whip; it was nearly exactly the same as Izzy's whip, with the only differences being its length and weight. It was even made of electrum. After Izzy showed her how to use it, Cecily attempted to replicate the technique. She flipped the whip back and there was a yelp from behind the two Lovelaces. The yelp had come from Will who had been standing in justthe 'right' place to be hit by the whip. The hit had only been a glancing blow, thankfully, but had still caused Will to jolt and fall to the floor. Jace ran over to his son and helped him to stand.  
"I hope that was unintentional." Jace joked.  
"Sorry, Will." Cecily apologised, walking over to the Herondale. She put her hand on his shoulder, but the whip in her other hand touched Will's leg. This caused his leg to jolt and he nearly fell again.

2030  
"How many times did I electrocute you?" Cecily asked, slightly embarrassed.  
"I can't quite remember." Will responded. "You've never stopped apologising for it though."  
"Well, I hurt you and that's not alright." Cecily responded.  
"It was nearly 12 years ago, Cecily. You can stop blaming yourself." Will adopted a caring tone. They soon reached the restaurant and were lead to their table. The date went well with the couple making small chat. They were midway through waiting for their food when Cecily brought up another shared memory.  
"Do you remember my 12th birthday when uncle Magnus' present went drastically wrong?" Cecily asked, nearly laughing at the memory. Will thought for a moment then nodded, also smiling.

2025  
Cecily's 12th birthday took place on a cold October day. As it was their first grandchild's birthday, Robert and Maryse were visiting from Idris. Magnus and Alec were also visiting. Raphael and Max were off traveling somewhere, so couldn't attend. The Institute was full of laughter and happiness, with all the inhabitants making pleasant conversation. It came round to giving out presents. From the Herondale parents, Cecily received a copy of an old Shadowhunter story, which Cecily had been captivated by and had always wanted. It had been difficult to find another copy other than the one in the copy that was briefly borrowed from the Los Angeles Institute. Charlie's gift was to be a bit delayed, as it was her agreement to become Cecily's parabatai. Will gave Cecily a mundane DVD that had been suggested by Simon. Cecily accepted all these gifts with immense thankfulness. Meanwhile, Maryse and Robert had given Cecily a sword that had been in the Lightwood family for generations. Apparently, it had been used by Cecily's namesake back in the Victorian times. Meanwhile, Izzy and Simon had gone all out, buying a wide variety of presents for their daughter, from weaponry to more mundane presents such as books and clothes. Magnus and Alec gave Cecily an enchanted snow globe which always snowed and had moving miniature figures. However, this quickly went wrong. As Cecily held it, the snow inside began to fall quicker and quicker and the glass suddenly shattered. All eyes turned to Magnus who already had his hands up.  
"That wasn't meant to happen. I didn't do it." Magnus assured the Institute's inhabitants. Maryse seemed almost ready to impale the warlock but decided against it. Thankfully, Alec had brought a less magical gift of his first training bow, which was the right size for Cecily.

2030  
Will and Cecily continued to chat as they waited for their meal. When the food finally came, they ate mostly in silence for manners.

Meanwhile, the four parents were in the vampire den, talking with Lily about some recent crimes involving members of the vampire clan. Whilst usually these meetings took place in the Institute, Lily wanted to deal with the situation as soon as possible, so it would be best to have the meeting in the Hotel Dumort. They had gone over the mundane reports of the crime, as well as some information gleaned from Downworlder witnesses, which had given Lily an idea of the responsible vampire. She escorted the four Shadowhunters to the main ballroom and called over one of the vampires, who matched the description of the suspect: a dark-haired, short man dressed in casual clothes. The vampire was Orion Turner.  
"Orion, these are Clary and Jace Herondale and Simon and Isabelle Lovelace." Lily introduced the Shadowhunters.  
"I know who they are. What does it have to do with me?" Orion asked, sounding annoyed.  
"Mr Turner, we'd like to ask you a few questions about some recent crimes." Jace stated. Orion began to smirk.  
"Of course you do. It's nice to know that you completely followed his prediction." Orion stated, almost laughing. The four Shadowhunters looked at each other with confusion. However, there were shouts in the corridors heading towards the ballroom that caused all four Shadowhunters to realise something at the same moment.  
"It's a trap." The four Shadowhunters remarked simultaneously. Thankfully, they had brought their usual weapons, so armed themselves. Izzy dug out her mobile phone from her back pocket and called the Institute's phone. Nobody picked up so she left a worried voicemail message.  
"The vampire den is being attacked by an unknown number of hostiles." Izzy remarked. "We need as much help as possible."  
She hung up then took out her whip to focus on the attack.

At the restaurant, a few minutes later, Will and Cecily's phones began to ring simultaneously. When they looked, they saw that it was their respective siblings. Worried about why Charlie and Jordan were calling at the same time, both answered their phones. They were quickly briefed on what was going on.  
"Mum and dad are in danger." Charlie told Will.  
"There's been an attack on the vampire den." Jordan informed Cecily. Both of the elder siblings were further informed about what was happening. Will dropped some money on the table, then the pair quickly left the restaurant and headed towards the Institute to change into gear, arm up, and join the rescue mission. When Will and Cecily reached the Institute, Jordan and Charlie were ready to head out. Will and Cecily ran into the institute and got changed into their gear. Cecily grabbed her some Seraph blades and a bow, whilst Will grabbed Seraph blades, and a set of throwing daggers. They then joined their siblings and headed towards the vampire den.

 **A/N: Hello! Sorry for the long hiatus. I was doing NaNoWriMo and wanted to focus on that. Hopefully, chapters will become a bit more regular again, but I'm not making any promises. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please remember to review. And as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: … And Second Encounters**

 **A/N: Welcome to part two of the latest couplet. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, and thank you for sticking with this story. Please remember to review, and as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**

The four teenagers, all armed to the teeth, ran across the city towards the Hotel Dumort. Meanwhile, the parents were fending off a large congregation of various Downworlders: rogue vampires and werewolves who seemingly had allied to attack the Shadowhunters.  
"Why are they attacking us?" Clary asked Jace.  
"I don't know. I haven't asked!" Jace exclaimed sarcastically. This would have made Clary roll her eyes if it weren't for the impending potential death or injury. Simon and Izzy thought by the Herondales' side, each adult trying to keep themselves and the other three alive.

Outside the Hotel, the four teenagers arrived, and immediately saw that the front entrance of the vampire den had been smashed in. It was being guarded by a group of strong looking Downworlders, who immediately turned to the four young Shadowhunters and charged towards them. By the time that the four teenagers had drawn their seraph blades to try and deal with the incoming Downworlders, the hostiles were already at them. All 4 Shadowhunters were disarmed by a swift blow to the arm. This sent them slightly backwards. Without saying a word, the four teenagers agreed to retreat. They all stopped a few blocks from the hotel, after the Downworlders had stopped chasing them. The four assembled in an alleyway.  
"We need to get in there, somehow." Jordan stated.  
"We know we have to!" Cecily exclaimed. Both Herondales places their hands on their respective parabatai's chests, trying to prevent a further argument.  
"Working together is crucial at the moment." Charlie scolded the two Lovelace siblings. "We can't be arguing!"  
Both Jordan and Cecily fell silent, and the two Herondales dropped their hands.  
"So, what are we going to do?" Will asked, trying to sound calm.  
"I don't know." Cecily answered, obviously worried.  
"I know who might." Jordan stated, digging his phone out of his back pocket.

The four parents had been able to escape the battle in the ballroom. They were hunkered down in a small hotel room, alongside Lily and a few other vampires. They were crouching behind a table, ready for when the hostiles would smash their way through the door. Suddenly, Simon's phone began to ring. This made the surrounding Shadowhunters and vampires jump. Simon dug out the phone and saw it was Jordan calling him. He quickly answered.  
"Jordan! This really isn't the time for a phone call." Simon scolded his son.  
"Well, we need your help to help you." Jordan stated. On Jordan's side of phone, the other three teenagers looked at him with confusion. He just gestured at them to trust him.

"What is that meant to mean?" Simon asked loudly, making Izzy, Clary and Jace turn to him.

"Dad, we need a way into the hotel. Whoever is attacking you, they have two Downworlders defending the front entrance." Jordan briefed Simon.

"Fire escape, it's accessible from the building behind the hotel." Simon replied quickly as the hostiles were nearly through the door. Simon quickly hung up. Just as he did, the hostiles were able to smash through the door. Every Shadowhunter and vampire prepared to defend themselves against the oncoming enemies. Meanwhile, with the teenagers, Jordan quickly told the other teenagers about what Simon had told him. Jordan took the lead towards where his dad had told them to head. When they got there, Cecily spotted a way up onto the roof. When they reached the first door on the outside of the hotel, Will quickly jump-kicked it open. After he had landed, Charlie, Jordan and Will drew their second seraph blades, while Cecily armed her bow. Battle ready, the four stormed into the hotel. They ran into the corridor and were immediately attacked. They were able to fend off the multiple hostiles and made their way further through the corridors. They approached a rom where the hostile Downworlders appeared to be trying to get into the room. There were shouts from familiar voices within the room. They were able to slice through the various attacking Downworlders until they had a clear pathway to the room. The four ran into the room and were nearly attacked by another vampire, if it weren't for someone shouting.

"Stop! Those are our children!" Clary shouted at the vampire who nearly attacked the four teenagers, who promptly apologised and stepped away from the four teenage Shadowhunters. The parents ran up and hugged their children.

"Thank the angel, you're alive." Izzy exclaimed to Jordan and Cecily. "I was so worried."

"Are you alright?" Will asked his parents. Both Clary and Jace nodded.

"Now, if you're done with your family reunion, we have a slightly more important matter at hand at the moment." Lily interjected, gesturing to the door where the hostile forces were reassembling. The Shadowhunters prepared themselves for the next wave of hostiles. However, the hostiles seemed to step away from the door, allowing someone through. A figure stepped into the room, and all of the Shadowhunters inhaled sharply. It was Mortmain, smiling cruelly and almost laughing.

"It's nice to see you again, Shadowhunters." Mortmain stated coolly, though he seemed to spit the last word.

"What do you want, Mortmain?" Clary asked, standing defensively in front of Will and Charlie. Jace stood by her side.

"Oh, long term? Revenge for my father, and the destruction of your petty Clave. Tonight, I'll settle for your deaths." Mortmain remarked with a smile like a snarl. "You see, after our last encounter, I realised that it wasn't just the Herondales that I wanted to punish. It was every single Shadowhunter who believed in their silly Clave and Consul. So, I decided to start with their representatives in this city, and fulfill my original goal of getting vengeance on the Herondale family.

"Oh, yeah. Guess what? The Lovelaces are here too." Simon quipped at Mortmain. During his distraction when he was talking about his intentions, Mortmain hadn't noticed both Cecily and Simon load their bows and draw back the strings. Now with Mortmain's attention turned to them, the two Lovelace's let the arrows fly. Mortmain caught both with ease, throwing them aside.

"Nice try;" Mortmain commented, still snarling, before turning to the Downworlders that had assembled behind him. "Kill them."

Mortmain then walked out of the room as the Downworlders stormed past him into the room. The 8 Shadowhunters worked in unison. The different pairs of parabatai fought back to back, as well as Jace defending Izzy and vice versa. They were able to fend off any Downworlder that attempted to attack them. At one point, one of the attackers was able to knock Jordan's blade out of his hand. However, before the Downworlder could attack the younger Lovelace again, an arrow and a knife simultaneously thudded into the attacker's chest and they fell backwards. Jordan turned to see Will and Cecily momentarily facing where the attacker had once stood, before turning back to the battle. After a significant number of hostiles had been dealt with, the other Downworlders stopped their attack and began to retreat. Instead of following the retreating attackers, the eight Shadowhunters checked on the casualties from their side of the battle. There were no fatalities, thankfully, but some of the vampires had lacerated abdomens from werewolves and other vampires. The vampires were bandaged up. After there were some formalities completed, with Clary and Jace formally apologising to Lily about being the cause of the attack, the eight Shadowhunters headed back to the Institute. Later that night, the Institute's phone rang twice. The first call was from Luke and Jocelyn, saying that they had heard about the attack and checking whether everyone was OK. The second call was from Maryse and Robert, and essentially repeated the same message. Both times, the parents and grandparents were told that everything was alright and that everyone was safe.

Cecily was sitting in her room, reading the book that she had gotten back on her 12th birthday, when there was a knock on her bedroom door. She looked up to see Will leaning on the doorframe.

"Hey." Cecily greeted.

"Hey;" Will responded. "I just wanted to say sorry about tonight."  
Cecily looked at Will with confusion.  
"None of tonight was your fault, Will." Cecily assured the Herondale.  
"I know, but I just hoped we'd get one uninterrupted date." Will confessed. Cecily smiled at her boyfriend.  
"We're Shadowhunters. I don't think that will ever happen." Cecily commented. This seemed to reassure Will slightly.  
"Thanks, Cec." Will responded, smiling at the Lovelace.  
"Any time, Will." Cecily stated, smiling back with equal happiness. Before Will left the room, Cecily stood, walked across her bedroom and hugged the Herondale boy. Will was startled for a moment but hugged back. After they separated, Cecily yawned loudly. Will smirked.  
"It looks like you need some sleep." Will commented. "Good night."  
"Good night. Just so you know; I really did enjoy dinner with you." Cecily assured Will before he walked away from the door and towards his own room. Meanwhile, downstairs, the four parents had overheard snippets of that conversation. Putting that with the small pieces of information that Jordan and Charlie had accidentally let slip on the way home, they realised what had happened.  
"Will and Cecily went on a date." Clary deduced.  
"They didn't tell us, though." Jace commented.  
"It's probably because they felt we would have some limits or disagreements." Simon suggested. Most of this was seemingly ignored by Izzy.  
"Weren't Will's and Cecily's namesakes' brother and sister?" Izzy asked.  
"Let's not go there." All 3 other parents stated simultaneously. This caused them to chuckle. After a few moments, Simon did exactly what he had told Izzy not to do.  
"Well, that does mean that their cousins, but it's a really long distance before you get to any mutual immediate family." Simon observed.  
"That doesn't seem like not going there." Clary commented, slightly scolding of her parabatai.  
"All I'm saying is: isn't that the same with most Shadowhunter families?" Simon commented, making the other three think in silence for a few moments.  
"Technically," Jace responded to Simon's point. "if you go back far enough, that's the case for all Shadowhunter families."  
This was a valid comment that was accepted by the three other adult Shadowhunters, and the conversation turned to different subjects. So, life returned to its (not really) normal at the Institute, at least for the time being.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Faerie Prophecies...**

2030  
After the fiasco with the meeting at the vampire den, it was decided that the four teenagers would accompany their parents to any meeting with Downworlders, so that if there was an attack, the numbers would be more on the Shadowhunter's side. One particular evening, the four Herondales and the four Lovelaces were in the Seelie Court. In the decades after the Dark War, the Cold Peace had 'warmed' slightly, with the fair folk eventually being allowed to have trade deals with the Clave. This particular visit was about reparations and investigation, however. A faerie had been spotted amongst Mortmain's ranks when he attacked the Hotel Dumort. The Seelie Queen had 'graciously' agreed to transfer the guilty faerie over to the Shadowhunters and the Clave. In addition to bringing their children, the meeting coincided with the second visit of the Arcargents who also accompanied the Herondales and the Lovelaces. This wasn't the first time that Cecily and Will had visited the Seelie Court. Back when they were 10, the two eldest had snuck to the Seelie Court, following their parents.

2024  
It was shortly after dusk that the Herondale and Lovelace parents headed out to the Seelie Court. After they had exited the entrance hall, Will and Cecily snuck into the entrance hall simultaneously. Both had dressed in more appropriate clothes for outside than pyjamas. As far as their parents were aware, they were both in their rooms for the night and were meant to be falling asleep. When they saw each other, both were shocked.  
"What are you doing here?!" Both Will and Cecily asked simultaneously.  
"I'm going to follow my mum and dad." Cecily informed Will.  
"No, you're not." Will retorted. "That's what I'm doing."  
"What do you mean I can't because you are?" Cecily asked, confused but angry. "Is it because I'm a girl?"  
"No, it isn't because of that." Will remarked.  
"We can go together, then." Cecily stated. Will went to protest but conceded. The two 10-year-olds quickly ran out of the house and tried to follow their parents. They were able to get a few streets behind their parents, where they were able to see the four heading into Central Park. The four quickly pursued their parents. However, they were briefly halted after Will tripped on a tree root and faceplanted into the dirt. Thankfully, the parents were too preoccupied to notice Will falling over. After Cecily had helped Will to his feet, they walked to where their parents had been. They had seemed to disappear through a cave opening. The elder Herondale and Lovelace stood around the entrance, trying to figure out where their parents had gone. At one point, Cecily attempted to lean on the wall. She subsequently slipped and stumbled into the cave. To Will, she seemed to disappear.  
"Cecily!" Will shouted, shocked about what just happened. Whilst Will was trying to figure out what happened to Cecily, said Lovelace had fallen into the Seelie ballroom. She stood to see the four parents looking at her, alongside a large congregation of fair folk. The situation was made worse a few moments later when Will also stumbled through the entrance, falling onto his front and taking Cecily with him.  
"Cecily!" Simon and Izzy exclaimed.  
"William!" Clary and Jace exclaimed.  
"Who are these two intruders?!" The Seelie Queen asked.  
"It's alright, Seelie Queen. They're just our children." Simon explained. A few words were muttered between the parents then Clary and Simon approached their children. Both Cecily and Will prepared for the outburst that they felt was definitely coming. Instead, Simon and Clary took their respective children by the arm and led then out of the Seelie Court. The two 10-year-olds protested all the way back to the Institute, but their parents were having none of it. When they got to the Institute, the two children were sent straight to bed without any chance for explanation.

2030  
Back to the present, and the three families had reached Central Park. As they had made their way across the city, Jace and Cecily had had a rather circular discussion about why Shadowhunters couldn't use cars to get places. It had ended up with neither party being the 'winner' or any more informed than they had before the discussion. When they reached the entrance to the Seelie Court, the five children were told to guard the entrance. The Herondales and Lovelaces agreed, remembering an encounter they had had with the fair folk, and particularly the Seelie Court a year after Cecily and Will had followed their parents to the Seelie Court.

2025  
It was a warm night in August. The Institute was holding one of its now-regular Downworlder meetings, where the leaders of different Downworlder species were assembled to discuss recent activities, as well as any changes in the Accords. There was no real regularity to the meetings, so the last meeting had been when the four children had been too young to remember. The children had been allowed to watch the Downworlders as they came in. They were all under the watchful eye of Maryse (Robert, as Inquisitor, wanted to be present for the meeting). The representatives of the werewolf packs were the first to arrive, followed shortly after by the leader of the vampire clan. Magnus promptly arrived after the vampire leaders, using the excuse that he was in Macau. There was about 10 minutes between when Magnus arrived and when the delegation from the Seelie court arrived. As they entered, all the children huddled in slightly, all four slightly unnerved by the inhuman character of the fair folk. The delegation glided past the children and didn't seem to even notice that they were there. Despite the little interaction, all four children shivered. Maryse noticed this.  
"Don't worry." Maryse assured her two genetic and two adopted grandchildren. "Everyone's like that when they first meet the fair folk."  
This didn't particularly reassure the four children at the time. There had been no real moments for the four to see if Maryse was telling the truth.

2030  
Back to the present, and the six parents entered the Seelie Court. They were greeted by a Seelie Knight, and were led to the courtroom. The Seelie Queen had the faerie criminal enchained in the centre of the main courtroom.  
"The criminal, as requested." The Seelie Queen remarked as the Shadowhunters entered. Clary immediately approached the criminal. The New York Shadowhunters had adopted this technique of allowing the more experienced Shadowhunters (Jace and Izzy in this case) to deal with the leaders of the various species, whilst the 'less' experienced dealt with the Downworlder they had come to see. However, before Clary could grab the faerie by the arm, the Seelie Queen warned against it.

"I wouldn't do that, unless you want to see the grisly side of the future." The Seelie Queen warned Clary. "Anybody this criminal touches gets a glimpse of the events to come."  
The six Shadowhunters paused for a moment, trying to process what they had just been told. The faerie took advantage of this and was able to push Clary away from him. Clary stumbled back. However, she started to see flashes that didn't seem to make sense at first. She saw Charlie and Will fending off Downworlders; she then saw a group dressed in white, standing around a flaming pyre though she couldn't see the faces of any of the group; she saw Charlie with what looked like wings, then the image changed to Cecily and Will, both dressed in white, holding each other for comfort. The final image of the prophecy was Mortmain laughing, holding a lifeless Shadowhunter in their hand; the image flashed so quickly that Clary was unable to recognise the Shadowhunter. At the time, the flashes didn't make sense. When Clary came back to the real world, she noticed that she had collapsed onto the floor and Jace was kneeling by her side. She unintentionally groaned when she regained consciousness.  
"Oh, thank the angel!" Jace exclaimed. "I was worried that you were a goner."  
"You can't get rid of me that easy." Clary retorted, making her husband smile. Jace helped Clary to her feet. Clary immediately noticed that the faerie was absent, as were both Simon and Izzy.  
"How long have I been out?" Clary asked Jace, completely perplexed. To her, the vision lasted mere moments. "Where are Simon and Izzy?"  
"They're fine." Jace assured his wife. "They just took the faerie out of the court so that he could be given to the Clave. As for your other question, it's been 10 minutes."  
Clary nodded. The two Herondale parents thanked the Seelie Queen then exited the court as well. Charlie and Will were still waiting outside.  
"You guys are still here?" Jace sounded mock-confused. "You could have gone home already."  
"Well, Charlie was worried about you, so I had to stick with her." Will stated.  
"That's not true. You were as worried as I was." Charlie defended herself. The bickering made Jace and Clary chuckle. After Charlie and Will had stopped bickering the four Herondales headed back to the Institute. Once they had got back to the Institute, and the children were out of earshot, Clary decided to talk to Jace about the prophecy/vision that she had been given. Just as she started, the couple was joined by Izzy and Simon. Clary retold what she had glimpsed, the 'snippets' of the future. Each event in the vision provoked a different response.  
"It looks like we haven't seen the last of Mortmain." Jace remarked about the two Herondale children fending off Downworlders.  
"What do you mean, wings?" Izzy asked, confused by the second event in the vision. The third event in the vision, Cecily and Will comforting each other while dressed in white was met with deathly silence. All four made similar deductions from the childrens' attire and obvious emotions.  
"Someone's going to die." Simon deduced, his voice sounding mournful and resolute. The four parents stayed in a worried silence for a few minutes. However, a knock on the door frame broke the four out of their silent reverie. The parents turned to see Charlie and Ros standing there.

"Mum, Dad, Ros and I are going to go somewhere for dinner. Is that alright?" Charlie asked. Both Clary and Jace smiled, despite the worry they both still experienced in the back of their minds.  
"Of course you can, Charlie." Clary assured her daughter. "Just stay safe and don't come home too late."  
Charlie nodded, giving her parents a thankful smile. She and Ros then turned and exited the Institute.  
"What are we going to do?" Clary asked the other parents,  
"I don't think there's anything we can do." Simon remarked. "Most theories suggest that time is a fourth dimension."  
"Excuse me?" Jace queried. "What do you mean?"  
"Basically, the future is already set." Simon explained, seeming simultaneously enthusiastic and mournful. "No matter how much you try to change it, it will inevitably happen."  
"You're saying that, no matter what we do, somebody is going to die?" Izzy sounded worried about Simon's explanation. Simon nodded sombrely. The parents returned to sombre silence. Later, Clary and Jace were lying in bed. Clary ran through the flashes in her head, trying to see if she could remember any further details. However, it was a fruitless search as no new details came to mind. Just as she nearly drifted off to sleep, Clary was struck by this revelation that the flashes hadn't shown but she seemed to subconsciously know. Whatever the flashes were showing, they would happen soon. Of course, after this revelation, sleep didn't come easy. However, there was the compensation that Charlie came home in an incredibly good mood. She and Ros were holding hands when they entered the Institute, so Clary assumed that their dinner had gone well. Whatever the prophecy was truly showing, Clary was happy that Charlie had been able to find love however brief it may be. She was happy that both of her children had someone to keep close to them, and who will care for them if and when needed, be it their parabatai, their siblings or their partners. However, it was a double-edged sword as if their close ones were to die, they would be inconsolable. Regardless of what happened in the future, the future would be a rough ride and the families would need to remain close to each other for the worst was definitely yet to come. Clary held her husband close, and was finally able to sleep.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. Consider this my early Christmas (or Hanukkah, or any other holiday) present to all of you who have read this story. The next chapter will be what happened during Charlie and Ros' dinner together, as well as what the 5 teenagers got up to while their parents were busy in the Seelie Court. Please remember to review, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Have a very merry Christmas. And, as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: ...and First Kisses**

 **A/N: Happy New Year's Eve! I'm publishing this early so that everyone who reads it can hopefully enjoy it alongside the New Year's celebrations. Anyway, as always, please remember to review, and -**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**

2030  
As the parents entered, the Seelie court, the teenagers formed a basic lookout/guard formation with each taking a slightly different angle. They remained close to the entrance so they could still have a conversation. Jordan was sat on a slight verge in the cavern whilst the other four sat on the ground.  
"So, what do you guys talk about on guard duty?" Ros asked. She had a 'Speak in tongues' rune but had also learned basic English so that the American Shadowhunters didn't need to also rely on the runes.  
"Just talk, really;" Charlie answered. "Some of my best conversations with these guys happened on patrols or guard duty."  
"Excuse me?!" Cecily remarked in shock. "We have plenty of good conversations when we're not on guard duty."  
"Yeah. Give us one example of one of these 'best' conversations." Will instructed his sister. Charlie thought for a moment, then retold a story she seemed to think met Will's conditions from a few years prior.

2028  
The two Herondale siblings were walking across the New York skyline. Both of the Lovelace siblings were ill, unfortunately, so couldn't join their parabatai on the patrol. However, it could be argued that the Lovelaces were better off as the weather was freezing cold, and it was pouring down with rain. The 14-year-old and 15-year-old were taking refuge under an awning, alongside multiple mundanes. Of course, none of the mundanes were able to see Charlie and Will. Both siblings were leaning on the shop window, trying to stay out of the mundanes' way, and waiting for the rain to stop.  
"So, how are you enjoying having a parabatai?" Charlie asked Will. Jordan and Will had undergone the parabatai ceremony less than a week before, and fate seemed to be working against them ever since. Firstly, Will fell badly ill with the flu a few days after the ceremony. In caring for his new parabatai, Jordan had caught the same illness. It was a similar case for Charlie and Cecily, hence why the Herondales had to do their patrols together instead of with their respective parabatai.  
"I haven't had much time to enjoy it, have I?" Will retorted.  
"Maybe not the fighting back to back side of being parabatai, but you have had to care for him as he's been sick." Charlie remarked. Will nodded, as if to say 'fair enough'. The two siblings kept looking out onto the rainy city until Charlie broke the silence again.  
"So, do you have any plans on telling Charlie how you feel about her?" Charlie asked Will, making her brother look at her in a fluster.  
"What do you mean?" Will asked, blushing bright red and looking 100% flustered.  
"Come on, Will." Charlie commented. "I'm your sister. You can't hide anything from me."  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Will bluffed, which made Charlie chuckle at her brother's embarrassment.  
"Yeah, you do. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too." Charlie assured Will.

2030  
"I wouldn't call that much of a conversation." Will commented after Charlie had finished her story.  
"I wasn't lying though, was I?" Charlie retorted. "You did have feelings for Cecily, even back then."  
Will smiled bashfully, as did Cecily.  
"So, how much longer do you think our parents will be?" Jordan asked.  
"No idea." All four other teenagers responded simultaneously. It was a few minutes later that the Arcargent and Lovelace parents emerged from the Seelie Court. The parents and their respective children headed home, with Will and Charlie saying that they'd wait for their mum and dad. The Herondale siblings kept waiting for a while, until their parents emerged from the Seelie Court. Jace was supporting Clary slightly. Charlie and Will sprinted over to check whether their mum was OK. After doing so, the Herondales headed towards the Institute. Later that evening, Ros and Charlie were sitting in the Institute's library when Charlie's stomach growled. It was loud enough for Ros to hear.  
"You must be starving!" Ros commented. "We need to get food."  
Charlie allowed Ros to take her out of the library by the hand, and the pair walked downstairs. However, before they exited the Institute, Charlie knocked on the lounge door and checked that it was alright with her parent for the pair to go for dinner. Clary assured Charlie that it was alright, however Charlie noticed that her mum looked worried about something. At that point in time, Charlie didn't give it too much thought. Charlie and Ros walked through the New York streets, trying to find a good restaurant. They ended up at the restaurant that had come highly recommended by Will and Cecily after their first date, even if it was cut short. They were able to eat a table as the restaurant was mostly empty and had a lovely meal. Throughout the meal, Charlie and Ros made small talk and laughed. Without really noticing, the pair began to hold hands on the table. When Charlie noticed, she internally blushed. Externally, however, she was able to keep a smile and didn't give away her hidden awkwardness. Ros also noticed. However, her reaction was a bit less hidden. Sher smile brightened and her eyes seemed to show even more joy than they did previously. Whilst Charlie pretended not to notice that they were holding hands, she did notice Ros' reaction.  
"What is it?" Charlie asked, though she had a good idea of what had caused the French girl's reaction. Ros gestured towards the pair's intertwined hands. Charlie pretended that she had just noticed that they were actually holding hands, and let her facade drop slightly. She felt her cheeks flush pink, which only made Ros smile more.  
"I didn't even realise that happened." Charlie blurted, trying to slide her hand away. "I'm so sorry about that."  
Ros shook her head gently, and squeezed Charlie's hand trying to be comforting.  
"You have no reason to worry." Ros assured Charlie. "Our actions speak for us when we don't know how to say what we want."  
Charlie was left speechless for a few moments. When she finally found her voice, it sounded awkward and confused.  
"What do you mean by that?" Charlie queried in a fluster.  
"I think you know." Ros stated with a smile. "I'm sure I saw the same, what do you call it, spark in your eye that I felt after our first meeting."  
Charlie stayed silent, not sure of what to say. Ros took a deep breath before she continued.  
"That is why I asked you to come for dinner. Your hunger just helped. It's also why I didn't ask any of our friends, and family, to accompany us." Ros confessed. "I was hoping to get you alone so that I could tell you my feelings and that you could keep them in strict confidence."  
Charlie smiled and nodded.  
"Of course. I'll keep your secret, no matter what." Charlie assured Ros. "What did you want to tell me?"

Once again, Ros let actions speak for her. She leaned over the table and pulled Charlie into a warm kiss. Charlie froze at first, shocked by what had just happened, but soon she unfroze and began to kiss Ros back. As she did, both began to giggle with happiness. After they had to break apart to breathe, the two beamed at each other.  
"I didn't even realise you were..." Charlie commented, trailing off before she finished her sentence.  
"A lesbian?" Ros replied. "I didn't realise I was until recently either."  
Charlie put her hand on her chin, listening intently.  
"It was you that made me realise that - made me realise who I was." Ros confessed. Charlie grinned with joy and kissed Ros again, this time a lot more confident about the reciprocation. After they separated for breath again, they finished their meal, keeping their hands intertwined for the whole evening. Once they were finished, Charlie paid for the meal then the pair strolled back to the Institute.

Meanwhile, in the Institute, Cecily and Will were sitting with each other in the greenhouse. The former had become the unofficial gardener for the Institute, with the latter frequently helping out when they could. Thankfully, Cecily had turned out to be quite the green-fingered individual unlike her parents and other family members. At the moment, they were taking a break after watering every plant in the entire greenhouse. They were sitting on the staircase, with Will looking up at his girlfriend. The Herondale, despite his numerous years of training about how to hide his emotions, was unintentionally smiling and looking at the Lovelace with eyes full of love. Cecily was looking back at Will, with similar emotions clear on her face.  
"What's on your mind, Will?" Cecily asked her boyfriend.  
"You are." Will confessed, making Cecily smile and flush slightly in joy. She took the Herondale's hand and leaned in. However, before they could kiss, Jordan walked into the greenhouse.  
"Hey." Jordan greeted Cecily and Will. Will and Cecily shifted slightly apart, the romance replaced with awkwardness.  
"Hi." Cecily and Will greeted their respective brother and parabatai. Jordan noticed the slight awkwardness between the two other teenagers.  
"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?" Jordan sounded embarrassed about his now apparent intrusion.  
"No." Cecily assured her brother. "It's fine."  
After a stern look from Cecily, Will nodded in agreement. Jordan walked over to the couple and sat at a lower point on the stairs.  
"So, what's up, Jordan?" Cecily asked her brother.  
"I actually wanted to ask both of you something. It's about being in relationships." Jordan confessed. Will and Cecily nodded in interest.  
"I think I might like someone, and I'm not sure what I should do about it." Jordan continued his confession.  
"It's Amatis, isn't it?" Cecily and Will queried simultaneously. Jordan's face went bright red.  
"What? How did you know?" Jordan asked. His sister and parabatai both smiled.  
"I'm your sister, and he's your parabatai, Jordan." Cecily stated. "We know you better than most people."  
Jordan's blush faded slightly and he began to smile.  
"So, what do I do?" Jordan asked.  
"Tell her!" Cecily and Will ordered Jordan simultaneously.  
"I'm sure it will go well." Cecily assured her little brother. Jordan smiled.  
"Thank you so much for that, you two." Jordan thanked her parabatai and sister. He then stood and exited the greenhouse.  
"It's good to know that our assumptions were correct." Cecily commented. Will nodded, smiling. Cecily then shifted closer to Will again and placed her hands on his shoulders. Will put his hands over Cecily's, holding them comfortingly.  
"So, where were we?" Will asked, making Cecily smirk.  
"Well, we weren't doing much. What we were going to do, though…" Cecily trailed off as she closed the gap between her and Will. The kiss was only a moment long, but for the pair, time slowed and the outside world seemed to fade away, if only for a few moments. When the two had finished kissing, they leant back and smiled at each other.  
"I love you." Will and Cecily remarked unintentionally and simultaneously. Both blushed slightly, but were grinning as wide as they could. The pair held each other closely.  
"I love you." Will repeated. Cecily tightened her grip on Will.  
"I love you too." Cecily assured Will.

Meanwhile, Jordan had grabbed his coat and ran out of the Institute, heading towards the Garroway house. As he did, the heavens seemed to open and it began to drizzle onto Jordan. He was able to quickly reach the house, and knocked on the door. Luke answered the door and immediately told Jordan to come in out of the rain. As Jordan stood in the hallway, Amatis entered. Amatis and Jordan stared at each other, and Luke noticed an unspoken conversation between the two.  
"I'll leave you two alone." Luke remarked, before leaving the hallway, trying to find Jocelyn wherever she was. Meanwhile, Amatis walked over to Jordan.  
"What are you here for, Jordan?" Amatis asked, sounding concerned for the Lovelace.  
"I just needed to talk to you." Jordan began his confession. "With everything going on, with Ros and Charlie, as well as my sister and Will, I've realised a few things about what – who I like."  
Amatis gestured at Jordan to continue, trying to seem appreciative and comforting. Jordan took a deep breath before continuing.  
"Amatis, we've known each other most of our lives. In fact, I've known you since before I can remember." Jordan continued. Amatis smiled at the sentiment. "I've had these feelings for you for the longest of times, and it was only recently that I realised what these emotions were. Amatis, I love you. It took me so long to realise that I love you, with all my heart."  
Amatis smiled brightly at Jordan, though there was shock and tears in Amatis' eyes. There was a moment of tense silence and still then Amatis quickly pulled Jordan into a tight hug. Jordan heard the werewolf sobbing into his shoulder.  
"What's wrong, Amatis?" Jordan asked; worried for the girl that was hugging him.  
"Nothing's wrong." Amatis responded, stepping back so she could see Jordan and wiping her eyes. "It's just a bit overwhelming. I've wanted to tell you how I feel for you for a while, but I've never got up the courage. I love you too, Jordan Lovelace."  
The two stood, hugging until someone cleared their throat. Amatis and Jordan turned to see Luke and Jocelyn. Both teenagers blushed and split apart.  
"I'll see you later, Amatis." Jordan remarked, shifting awkwardly. He then said goodbye to Jocelyn and Luke and left the house hurriedly. When he arrived back at the Institute, Izzy was just finishing a phone call.  
"Hi, mum." Jordan greeted, trying to seem nonchalant and unworried.  
"How were Amatis and the rest of the Garroways?" Izzy asked. This made Jordan blush and splutter.  
"It's alright that you went to see her." Izzy assured her son. Jordan nodded before hurrying deeper into the Institute.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading. I'll see you in the next chapter, and in 2017! And, as always**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Teenage Birthdays...**

March, 2031  
It was mid-March and there was a celebratory mood in the Institute. Today was Will's birthday and there were a lot of visitors to wish him well. Alongside the Shadowhunters who normally resided within the Institute, Jocelyn, Luke, and Amatis were visiting, as well as the Lightwood parents, and the Lightwood-Bane family. Jem and Tessa were visiting, taking a break from a tour of the world to wish the eldest Herondale child well, as well as giving him a special gift that Jem had been gifted by the London Institute after he stopped being a Silent Brother.

2009  
After a year of travelling the world, and eventually reuniting with Tessa, Jem Carstairs found himself back in the London Institute. Not much had changed, except for some noticeable structural aids to the building, mostly to counteract damage done during the Dark War. Whilst most of the records of the Dark War focused on the casualties in Idris and America, London had its share of victims, though any Shadowhunter in the Institute itself was protected by a force. Not many people had made the deduction that Jem had been able to: that the force was actually the spirit of Jessamine Lovelace who still wandered the hallways, unintentionally causing an unearthly chill to anyone who she passed in the corridors. Jem had been invited to the Institute under the pretence that they had something they felt Jem and Tessa may want to keep in their possession. Of course, Tessa was accompanying Jem wherever he went. Being back in London, where she had raised her children with Will, and where she had seen them age whilst she stayed eternally the same, caused Tessa to hold her fiancé tightly for comfort. Below the surface, Jem was struck by similar memories of seeing his friends and especially his parabatai age and pass on during his time as Brother Zachariah. However, he attempted to keep a brave face for his fiancé. They were to be married in a few weeks' time, and alongside visiting the Institute, they were in London to see whether their wedding plans were viable. Thankfully, they were. Back to the present, and the pair were approached by Damien Blackthorn, the head of the Institute and a distant cousin of the Los Angeles brood. Due to the distance between the countries, the Blackthorn children coming to live with Damien had never even come up in the discussion. Damien approached Tessa and Jem, carrying a large pile of books.  
"We were surveying the Institute after the Dark War, trying to see exactly how much damage had been done, and whilst in some of the lesser used sitting rooms upstairs, we found these journals hidden behind a bookcase," Damien explained. "I'm surprised that you didn't have any in your possession yet, Ms Gray."

Intrigued, Tessa took one of the journals from the top of the pile and opened it. Despite the fact she had never seen the particular journal before; she recognised the handwriting in a heartbeat.  
"Will wrote these." Tessa commented. She read the random entry she had opened to and realised it was Will's account of the day he had met Tessa. Will described Tessa as 'a peculiar mystery to be unravelled, wound in a rather beautiful shape'. In fact, reading what the Victorian Herondale had written in confidence made Tessa further appreciate the character of the man she had married all those years ago.

"I didn't even realise that Will kept a journal. So, it's no surprise to me that I didn't have such an item." Tessa explained to Damien, who nodded. Tessa turned to her fiancé.  
"Did you know Will had a journal, Jem?" Tessa asked Will's ex-parabatai, who was more likely to know about the Herondale's habits and hobbies, more so than even Tessa who had married him. Jem simply shook his head.  
"Whilst Will was very open in some aspects, he could be incredibly secretive in others." Jem commented. Tessa agreed with a nod.

Later, sitting in one of the London Institute's music room as she had so many times back when she was only starting in the Shadow World, Tessa began to read through Will's journals. Jem had also been in the music room, serenading Tessa with a violin he borrowed from the Institute's now extensive instrument collection, but had now walked to the kitchen to get some lunch for himself and his fiancé. Despite the fact that Jem was mostly adjusted to the modern era, he was still as much of a gentleman as he had been back when Tessa and he had first met. Reading through Will's entries into one of his secret journals, Tessa noticed that one of the entries suddenly cut off. Looking at the date, Tessa remembered a peculiar encounter she had had with Will around that time, and which she assumed was the very day that Will wrote the unfinished entry.

1898  
Tessa Herondale, as she was known at that point in time, was pacing through the London Institute, looking for her husband and head of the Institute. There was to be an Enclave meeting within the hour, and Will had disappeared. Prominent Shadowhunters had started arriving, and Tessa believed that they should be greeted by the Institute head. Tessa looked through all the usual places, their shared bedroom, the children's bedrooms, and even the music room. Thankfully, as she checked in James and Lucie's rooms, neither one stirred. Tessa eventually found Will in one of the upstairs sitting rooms. As she walked into the doorway, the floorboards creaked. Will, who had previously been fervently writing something into a leather bound black book, jumped up and hid the quill and book away. Too preoccupied with the important Shadowhunters waiting downstairs, Tessa ignored the notebook for the time being.  
"Tessa! You gave me a fright." Will commented, trying to avert attention from him hiding the notebook. It was then that noticed Tessa's cross/worried posture and expression and realised what he had forgotten.  
"They've started arriving, I gather." Will remarked, to which Tessa replied with a curt nod.  
"Gabriel and Cecily are keeping them at bay for now," Tessa explained, trying to sound annoyed that her husband had 'forgot'. "But they are waiting to talk to you. You are the Institute head, of course."  
Will had a tendency to purposefully be late for Enclave meetings, mostly to see what would happen and much to the annoyance of his wife and the other inhabitants of the Institute, bar Cecily, who put it down to the Herondale personality, to which Gabriel would often jokingly reply 'what family are you from then?'. Whilst Tessa sounded calm, Will quickly realised that this was a cover for her scolding, in case any of the important Shadowhunters happened to be within earshot. Taking heed of the scolding he had received, Will stood and followed his wife downstairs to the waiting Enclave. The meeting wore on until late in the night and after it was finished, both Tess and Will were too tired to do anything other than walk to their bedroom and fall asleep. There was no mention of Will's notebook the following day, or week, and eventually, it faded in Tessa's memory.

2008  
Tessa smirked at the memory and continued to read through the journal, enthralled by the detail about what the different Shadowhunters of the Institute got up to. A lot of what Will had written was focussed on Tessa, though a good portion was also about the children. Reading the journal brought up old memories which long ago faded back to the surface and reminded Tessa of her old life.

March, 2031  
When Jem and Tessa had given Will one of the journals, the teenage Herondale looked at them with utter shock. A few weeks prior, Clary had contacted Jem and Tessa and told them that Will wanted to learn a bit more about the Herondale family, and had read the entire genealogy volume that Robert had been able to get loaned from Idris. Jem and Tessa chose the particular volume they had gifted to Will as it was a particularly eventful year and had good descriptions of the behaviours of the entire Herondale brood, including some (slightly biased) self-assessment by Will. Amongst the presents that Will had received, mostly weapons, the journal was definitely his favourite gift, and nobody else who had given the new 17 year old gifts felt the need to protest. Currently, Jem was retelling a few memories of Victorian London and the Shadowhunter life, to both Will and Cecily, who were intrigued to learn about their namesakes, even if said namesakes were siblings. Once their curiosities were satisfied, Will and Cecily thanked Jem, who then walked back to Tessa. Meanwhile, Charlie approached Cecily and Will. Jordan was in another room of the Institute, with Amatis. None of the three teenage Shadowhunters wanted to think about what Amatis and Jordan might be doing. So, instead, they turned their attention to how Charlie and Ros were doing, relationship wise. Charlie had got back a few days prior from visiting Paris for a fortnight, Her excuse for the visit was that she wanted to learn a bit more about how Shadowhunting was different in Europe, but everyone at the New York Institute new the true reasoning for the trip.  
"So, how was Paris?" Cecily asked her parabatai, trying to be covert. Both Will and Cecily noticed Charlie flush slightly, probably realising the subtext of Cecily's question.  
"Paris was good. It was busy, but nothing compared to here." Charlie commented, suppressing a particular memory. "The Arcargents and other Shadowhunters in the Institute were incredibly hospitable."

February, 2031  
It was a few weeks prior. Ros was waiting in the entrance hall when Charlie suddenly popped into existence in the centre of the hall, having passed through a portal in New York. Ros ran to Charlie who was carrying a cargo bag and suitcase with all her clothes and items that she felt she needed for the next two weeks. Dropping her bag and suitcase, Charlie pulled her girlfriend into a warm embrace. Ros hugged back.  
"How have you been?" Charlie asked Ros.  
"I've been good, thank you." Ros responded, smiling at the blonde Herondale. Taking one of Charlie's bags, Ros showed her girlfriend up to the bedroom that had been prepared for her.  
"Not that you need to sleep in this bed every night." Ros whispered to Charlie flirtatiously, making the American Shadowhunter flush. Ros kissed Charlie on the cheek then left, saying that she had a family matter to attend to. After unpacking her bags into the dressers provided, Charlie decided to wander around the Institute, to get an idea of what the place was like. Walking through one of the corridors, she was confronted by Helene, Ros' mother.  
"Ah, Charlotte, It's nice to see you." Helene greeted the Herondale, giving a kind smile. "How are you settling in?"  
"I'm settling in well, thank you, Madame Arcargent." Charlie commented. "Thank you so much for your hospitality."  
"It's our privilege;" Helene assured Charlie. "It's not every day that Rosalie asks to have a friend stay with us."  
"Speaking of which, where is Rosalie at the moment?" Charlie queried, curious about what her girlfriend was doing.  
"I'm not sure." Helene replied. "She left the Institute wanting to do some shopping. She said she'd be home before too late."  
Charlie nodded and thanked Helene, before continuing her wander through the Institute. She was in the library when Ros found her, looking through an original copy of 'The Three Musketeers'. Alexandre Dumas was a Shadowhunter, after all, and had based the characters of Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan off other Shadowhunters he knew. In the original Shadowhunter version, D'Artagnan was a recently Ascended Shadowhunter, whilst the other three were Shadowhunters in loco parentis for him. As Ros entered the library, Charlie looked up. Seeing her girlfriend, she bookmarked the point of the novel she had reached, put it down and stepped over to the French girl. The couple greeted each other with a hug and a kiss on each cheek, as per the French tradition/stereotype.  
"Hi. I missed you today." Charlie commented, making Ros smile apologetically.  
"Sorry. I just had a few errands I realised I had to run." Ros remarked. The pair walked over to one of the library's sofas and sat. Their hands intertwined, and Charlie lay her head on Ros' shoulder. The two stayed in comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Charlie's curiosity got the better of her.  
"So, what were you out buying?" Charlie asked Ros, looking up at the dark haired girl, who looked back at the blonde with equal adoration. However, after Charlie asked the question, she noticed that Ros looked slightly nervous about her answer.  
"It was a gift for you." Ros confessed "I was going to wait until the 'perfect moment' as you Americans put it, but as you asked so nicely..."  
Ros trailed off as she stood.  
"Wait here. I will be right back." Ros instructed Charlie, who nodded. Ros left the library and returned a few minutes later, holding the gift behind her back. She walked up to Charlie who still sat on the sofa.  
"I know that usually the tradition is to give the family ring, but I wasn't sure whether I'd have the courage to tell my parents yet, but I also felt I needed to ask you. So, this is my compromise." Ros blurted.  
"What tradition?" Charlie asked, though she was nearly completely sure about what Ros was talking about. It was at that moment that Ros revealed the gift. It was a beautiful necklace with a silver heart encrusted with various precious stones.  
"Charlie, I want to marry you;" Ros confessed. "I don't just love you, I'm in love with you, and I want to spend every moment of every day by your side and for you to know how complete my love is."

By this point, Charlie was already in tears. After Ros had finished her proposal, Charlie kissed her. After they split for breath, Charlie became conscious that she hadn't responded verbally to Ros' proposal.  
"Yes." Charlie said simply.  
"Yes?" Ros queried, slightly confused.  
"Yes, I will marry you. I love you with all my heart, my rose." Charlie remarked, trying out the new nickname. Ros seemed to like it as she grinned from ear to ear. Charlie allowed Ros to put the necklace on her before she kissed her new fiancé again.

March, 2031  
Charlie's hand subconsciously went to the necklace that still hung around her neck as she remembered this, and retold some of the more innocuous events to Will and Cecily. She and Ros had agreed that they would tell their parents together, when the Arcargents visited again in slightly under 6 months. Before then, the pair would secretly try to make _some_ arrangements, such as the when and where. At that moment, Clary entered the room, giving Charlie an excuse to finish her conversation with Cecily and Will before she accidentally revealed information about the proposal. Cecily and Will let her pass. Just as Charlie walked to talk to Clary about something or other, Amatis and Jordan entered the room, looking slightly flustered. Will whispered something into Charlie's ear that made her smirk as the two Shadowhunters walked over to the Shadowhunter and werewolf.  
"So, what have you two been up to?" Cecily asked her younger brother, making said brother blush bright red. Both Amatis and Jordan adjusted their clothing without quite realising that they were doing it.  
"Nothing." Both blurted simultaneously, only embarrassing themselves more.  
"Hey, it's none of our business." Will commented, reassuring the couple, and scolding Cecily slightly. "What you get up to in private is down to you, and should stay private. However, I would work on making sure that you have an alibi, or you're not gone long enough to require an alibi."  
Whilst Will was trying to be reassuring, all this achieved was to slightly lessen Amatis' and Jordan's embarrassment by a single notch. The four continued to chat, and eventually Amatis and Jordan's awkwardness and embarrassment faded away. An hour or so passed, and the Garroways decided to head home. Jem and Tessa had already left, as well, having a 'special appointment' with a doctor. Will, who had been by Cecily's side pretty much all day, told the Lovelace that he quickly needed to do something and to meet him in the greenhouse that evening. Cecily nodded, and Will moved off, going to get something from his room. Cecily talked with Jordan and Cecily, who both also seemed to be hiding secrets. Jordan was keeping what he and Amatis got up to, whilst Cecily could tell that Charlie hadn't said about everything that happened in Paris. However, as much as she wanted to know the whole truth, Cecily respected that the pair didn't want everything they did out in the open all the time. She agreed with this, having had such events in her own life. The trio continued to chat into the evening, when Cecily stood and walked to the greenhouse for her meeting with Will.

 **A/N: Hi! Sorry if that ending sucked, but I couldn't think of anything better, which would leave some content for the next chapter. This is the longest chapter in the story, so far, so well done for slogging through it. Anyway, please remember to review. After this marathon chapter, the next may seem insufficient, but I'll try my hardest to make it worthwhile. And, as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: …And Surprise Gifts**

 **A/N: Hello! This chapter basically happens in the same timeframe as the 'present' sections of the last chapter, and extending upon it. You'll understand as you read the chapter. This chapter definitely requires a T rating.**

March, 2030  
Whilst Cecily and Will were listening to Jem's retelling of Victorian times, and Charlie was lost in her thoughts, Amatis and Charlie snuck away from the assembled family members and friends. They made their way up to Jordan's bedroom and sat on the Lovelace's bed. They smiled at each other.  
"It's nice to get away from the noise for a while." Amatis commented. Jordan nodded in response. Jordan and Amatis had talked at length about how Amatis' enhanced senses of hearing and smell meant that gatherings were difficult to deal with. For werewolves, sometimes, solitude was peace. Jordan held his loved one's hands and smiled at her comfortingly.  
"Although, my senses do have their benefits." Amatis commented. "For example, I can tell when someone has an elevated heart rate when they're in close quarters."  
Amatis gave Jordan a flirtatious smile, whilst her comment made Jordan feel and look rather bashful. Amatis' smile became more comforting. She took Jordan's hand and placed it on her chest. Amatis' heartbeat was racing, much like Jordan's. This made Jordan feel less embarrassed.  
"I talked to my parents about it," Amatis explained. "They said that when you love a person, your pulse speeds up unintentionally."  
"I've heard that before, but I wasn't sure if it was true." Jordan commented. "I guess this is the proof."  
"I guess it is." Amatis responded, smirking slightly. The two lulled into a brief silence, eventually broken by Amatis.  
"So, why are we up here?" Amatis asked.  
"Uh, well, it was mostly because I noticed you were being overwhelmed by all the noise upstairs." Jordan confessed. "I also wanted to have some time alone with you, and this seemed like the best place to be so that we weren't interrupted."  
Amatis smiled, appreciating Jordan's care in the matter. Without letting Jordan say anything more, Amatis kissed him. Unlike the kisses shared between Will and Cecily, one of which Jordan accidentally saw, this was incredibly passionate, as if the pair was going to die before they could finish. Later, Jordan would reason that all the passion that his sister and his parabatai had for each other was able to be satisfied more regularly, so they weren't as… energetic when they showed how they felt for each other. Meanwhile, Jordan and Amatis' passion for each other had to be supressed, mostly due to the fact that both were too awkward for public displays of affection. So, as they kissed now, sure that they wouldn't be seen or disturbed, their mutual passion erupted. Their hands began to roam over each other and clothes were lost, and their passionate actions continued.

About half an hour later, the two were lying on Jordan's bed, holding each other in a warm embrace. Jordan lovingly looked at Amatis, who was lying on top of him, and had fallen asleep. Jordan happened to look over at the clock on his bedside table and noticed the time. His movement to look at the clock caused Amatis to stir.  
"How long has it been?" Amatis asked, noticing Jordan looking at the clock.  
"It's been about half an hour." Jordan commented, causing Amatis to sit up.  
"We should probably get back downstairs." The two teenagers commented simultaneously. They then stood, dressed and hurried downstairs. As soon as they entered the lounge with everyone else, they were confronted by Cecily and Will.

After most of the guests had left, Will told Cecily to meet him in the greenhouse later that evening. Cecily agreed and Will ran up to his room. A few days prior, Will had bought a small gift for Cecily, whilst on patrol with Jordan. Now, as Will retrieved the present from his bedroom and left into the corridor, he was met by both Jordan and Simon, who seemed to be making some small talk. Both saw Will leave his room, gift in hand. Both Lovelaces immediately noticed the gift box in Will's hand and realised what it was, or rather, who it was for.  
"So, you're going to ask her then?" Jordan asked his parabatai. Will nodded in response, nerves stopping him from speaking. Despite the fact he had planned and prepared what he was going to do, butterflies still filled his stomach.  
"You'll do great." Simon assured his adoptive nephew. This reassured Will, and made him feel a bit braver.  
"I'm still bricking it about what she's going to say." Will confessed.  
"If I know my sister, and I can assure that that is one subject I do know, mostly," Jordan remarked. "I know that she absolutely adores you and will always do so."  
Simon nodded in agreement.  
"Look, no matter what happens: it takes guts to do something like this, so well done either way." Simon stated to Will. Will thanked the two Lovelaces, before continuing to walk towards the greenhouse. Will had had the foresight with everything that was happening that day to prepare that morning. With the assistance of Clary, he had packed a small picnic hamper for him and Cecily to share, before or after Will gave Cecily her present. Will didn't have a specific order of what was going to happen tonight. He only knew that he was going to give Cecily the gift at some point, and hope that she likes it. He was able to get to the greenhouse, and set up the picnic blanket before Cecily arrived in the greenhouse. Earlier, Cecily had been wearing more casual clothes which could easily fit underneath gear; she was now wearing the dress that she had worn on her and Will's first date. Will had also changed as he retrieved the gift, now wearing a smart polo and chinos. For warmth, he was also wearing a light jacket, which he had hidden the gift in. When Cecily saw the picnic Will had set out for the couple, she smiled. She walked over and pecked her boyfriend on the lips. Seeing that Cecily liked what she had seen so far of what Will had prepared calmed the Herondale fractionally, though he was still secretly anxious about how the night would finish. Cecily sat on the mat, and Will sat facing her.  
"So, what's the occasion?" Cecily asked, intrigued about the reasoning for the evening rendezvous. "Other than your birthday."  
"Oh, there's no major occasion," Will remarked, adding 'yet' to the remark in his mind. "I just felt that we needed to have a proper date, even though we see each other every day."  
Cecily smirked.  
"I agree. Being covered in demon ash isn't exactly conducive to romance." Cecily commented, making the Herondale chuckle. Cecily was referencing when the pair got called off of another dinner date as a demon which had been summoned by Magnus had escaped its binding magic and was rampaging through Brooklyn. As a side effect of the bodged binding, which Magnus put down to worry about his (adoptive) sons, a few other demons had also escaped and also roamed the New York streets. Making a quick stop at the Institute, Will and Cecily helped deal with the problem, though it did end up with them being absolutely covered in demon ash.  
"You still look stunning, even if you're covered in demon ash." Will responded nonchalantly to Cecily's comment. Cecily gave a bashful smile as a response to the compliment. The two stayed in silence as they ate a bit of the food, and Will tried to build up some courage. The irony of the situation struck Will at that moment: he had faced down demons, rogue Downworlders, and an utter madman with no fear, but now, when all he had to do was give his girlfriend a gift and ask a question, he was completely frozen with sheer anxiety. He was able to crack through his fear and reached into his jacket pocket, ready to take the gift out of the pocket and offer it to Cecily.  
"Cecily," Will started, getting the Lovelace's attention. "We've been dating for a while now and, um, I was wanting to give you something. Well, ask you something. Now, I know you don't want to get married any time soon. Hell, I'm terrified about marriage and all that sort of thing. Well, it's more a fear of the responsibilities required in married life."  
Will realised that he was beginning to ramble. He took a breath, so that he could collect himself and not ramble further. Cecily looked at him comfortingly and reassuringly, seeing and sensing how nervous the Herondale was. After he had collected his thoughts, Will picked up from where he had left off.  
"So, basically, I know that we're both not quite ready to be married yet." Will continued. "But, at the same time, I want to be with you. I can see a very nice future, where we get married at some point, when we're ready. However, I thought this would be a good compromise. for now at least."  
At that moment, he took the gift box from his jacket pocket and held it out to Cecily. She took it, intrigued, and opened it. Inside, there was a simple silver ring, with a few Celtic designs.  
"It's called a promise ring. My mum told me about them once. They're something used in the mundane world-" Will attempted to explain, but was cut off by Cecily, who had put down the gift and was kissing him. A moment later, when they separated, Will was the first to speak up.  
"I hope that wasn't just to shut me up." Will joked, making Cecily smile at him.  
"I know what a promise ring is, Will." Cecily remarked. "My dad lived as a mundane too, remember? Plus, you always smile after we kiss, which is nice."  
Cecily took the ring from the box.  
"It's incredibly thoughtful of you, and very considered." Cecily commented about the ring. "And to be honest, I see that future as well. But, with everything else at the moment, with Mortmain and all the higher than normal risk of death, trying to organise a wedding would be a bit... uncalled for. But, I'm happy with this as a compromise."

After she had concluded her piece, Cecily slipped the ring onto her finger then put her hand in Will's.  
"So, what do we tell everyone else?" Cecily queried. Will blushed slightly.  
"Well, um, your mum and dad already know. So does Jordan..." Will confessed before explaining that Jordan was with him when Will bought the ring, and Will also felt the need to ask for Simon's and Isabelle's blessing. Cecily understood this.  
"If my dad knows, then he's probably told your mum and dad, too." Cecily deduced.  
"So, the only person who wouldn't know would be my sister." Will concluded.  
"Charlie won't be happy about that." Cecily commented. Will nodded in agreement.  
"Speaking of Charlie, did she seem a bit distracted to you today?" Cecily queried.  
"Yeah. She seemed very attentive to the necklace she got in France." Will remarked as an observation. "My mum asked where she got it, and Charlie said it was a gift."  
Cecily nodded.  
"We're going to have to pester her about that." Cecily stated. Will fervently agreed.

The Herondale in discussion was currently in her bedroom with the door closed, on a video call with Ros. The two were discussing the few wedding options they could, without it sounding conspicuous.  
"So, we're going to have to hold it in Idris." Charlie observed. "Not only would it mean that families feel more welcome, but that does counteract the age problem."  
One of the main issues with Charlie and Ros getting married was that if they wanted to get married in any less than two years' time, they would be too young in both France and America. However, unlike other European countries, Idris allowed Shadowhunters to get married at 16, regardless of the laws of the country they came from. This was a rule put in place when Shadowhunters started to spread across the world, and it was noted that there were too many differences in the age of majority. Regardless, Idris was the best option for a Shadowhunter wedding. Alongside the fact it would probably be the only country that would allow the marriage, due to international barriers, et cetera, it was idyllic. The couple continued to discuss what they could about the wedding, as well as mentioning the impending visit by the Arcargents to the New York Institute. Both Cecily and Ros were simultaneously looking forward to and anxious about the visit, as they planned to tell both of their families about the engagement. The couple continued to talk on late into the night, until Charlie could no longer keep her eyes open.

The following morning, after Charlie had gotten up and dressed, she headed down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. In the kitchen, she found Will making breakfast for himself and humming. He didn't seem to notice his sister behind him, and walked out of the kitchen to eat his breakfast.  
 _He seems happier than usual today_ Charlie thought. After she had finished her breakfast, she headed up to the training room. As usual, she found Cecily already there, warming up for the pair's imminent sparring session. Having seen the elder Lovelace nearly every day of her life, Charlie immediately noticed the new ring on her finger.  
"Nice jewellery, where'd you get it?" Charlie asked. Cecily flushed red.  
"Will gave it to me. It's a promise ring." Cecily confessed. Charlie was dumbstruck for a moment. She knew that Will loved Cecily, but had never thought that her brother would have the courage to do what Cecily was saying he did.  
"So, you two, you're getting…" Charlie trailed off, though Cecily caught her drift.  
"Yeah. Not any time soon, but at some point in the future, I'll be your sister-in-law, if the fates allow." Cecily commented.  
"That's a weird thought." Charlie replied. Cecily agreed then the two continued with their original plan of a sparring session.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed that! Now, this may be the last chapter for a while. Two reasons for that: 1) I have exams for a few weeks, so I'm busy with those, and 2) the next two chapters are going to be the climax of the story, but not the end... So, if there isn't a chapter next week, don't kill me! Anyway, I hope that this chapter was substantial and enjoyable. Please remember to review. And, as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Important Announcements...**

September, 2032:  
It was months later, and another birthday. It was Jordan's birthday. However, the youngest Lovelace had pleaded with his family members not to make a big deal of his birthday. He was still given a few presents, but it was more of a family affair than the two Herondale's birthdays (Charlie's in January and Will's in March). This was also the matter as Jordan's birthday coincided with a visit by the Arcargents. At that particular moment in time, the parents were sitting in an upstairs study, discussing some formal matter, whilst the five children were in the main downstairs sitting room. The two couples sat together, and Jordan sat next to his sister and Will. Will had his arm around Cecily's shoulders, and the Lovelace had her head on his shoulder. They were also holding hands. At the moment, four of the five were listening to Jordan's account of his and Amatis' last date, a fortnight before.

August, 2032:  
Amatis and Jordan had decided to go to Central park for a picnic. Everything was set to be perfect. Jordan had even organised it with the other Shadowhunters in the Institute that he could take the night off, even though he was meant to be on patrol with Will that evening (Cecily had thankfully agreed to take his place). In addition, it was one of the only nights that Amatis was available to go on a date in the entire month, due to the Garroways travelling to Canada, as well as the full moon and other werewolf pack events. Jordan met with his girlfriend at the entrance to the park. Then, together, they walked to the edge of the reflecting pool, near the entrance to the Seelie Court. The night went well, with there being no major distraction. What Jordan didn't tell his friends was that as they were alone in the park, he and Amatis may have gotten a bit 'frisky', until both felt the chill of the night air.

September, 2032:  
Jordan kept a few details of what he and Amatis got up to during the date secret, and as far as he was aware, the other four were fine with this. After their brief conversation on Will's birthday about being careful, Amatis and Jordan had tried to keep the time that they were away from others to a minimum or to have some excuse for their absence. After Jordan had finished his account, the five lulled into silence. This silence was broken by Ros. She faced Will and Cecily.  
"So, Charlie told me about you two." Ros stated. "Well done on your engagement, of sorts."  
Both Cecily and Will smiled.  
"Thank you. I was scared about what Cecily would say." Will confessed. "But her answer showed me I had nothing to fear."  
"That was rather poetic. I was shocked he even asked. To be honest, I never thought Will to be a marriage type of person." Cecily also confessed.  
"Neither did I, until I realised how I felt about you." Will stated, making Cecily blush slightly, and all three other teenagers to 'aww' at the cuteness of the situation. This, in turn, made both Will and Cecily blush even more.

Meanwhile, with the parents, they were finishing up their discussion about current Clave matters that required international discussion, including potential immigration treaties for Downworlders. Clary and Jace, as co-heads of the Institute, had received a detailed document a few days prior, outlining the American Conclave's position on the matters, and had discussed them with the Arcargents, who represented the European Shadowhunter community. They also had Miko Sekaikipa, from the Tokyo institute, representing an opinion from the Asian Shadowhunters. Whilst this matter would be discussed in more detail in a proper Clave meeting, it was good to get an idea of how the various communities felt about new Clave legislation. Clary was dealing with the final few formalities of the discussion, so Jace had no need to say anything. Instead he looked at his wife with adoration at how she excelled in her role, and remembered the first large-scale meeting the two had had to lead, all the way back before the pair were even married, in 2013.

January, 2013:  
It was a mild evening in the New York Institute, and newly appointed head Clary Fairchild was pacing in the dining room/main meeting room. Unlike Jace, her boyfriend at the time, who was incredibly calm and collected about what was about to happen, Clary's stress levels were through the roof. Today would be the first meeting of the different Downworlder species with the Institute heads. Whilst Clary knew most of the representatives who would be attending the meeting, this did nothing to allay her nerves. She kept fiddling with her formal suit which she had decided on to portray a professional image she hoped would last in the minds of the different species' representatives. Noticing Clary's fiddling, Jace walked over to his girlfriend and put a comforting arm on her shoulder. Whilst this stopped Clary from pacing and fiddling, the redhead still looked intensely nervous, which Jace felt she had no reason to. The meeting was primarily for appearance's sake, to show that Clary and Jace, the new heads of the Institute, were capable of what their job required. Alec arrived alongside Magnus, who represented himself and the few other Warlocks who lived within the Institute's jurisdiction. The relationship between the Institute and the local vampire clan had been rather on edge recently, so Alec was there as a trusted ally of Lily, the leader, as well as support for his parabatai and Clary. The werewolves, represented by Maia and one of her betas, arrived next. The vampires, or rather Lily on her own, were the last to arrive after the sun had fully set.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, representatives of New York's Downworld," Jace greeted the assembled leaders. "Welcome to the Institute. For those of you who don't know me or my colleague, I am Jace Herondale, and my colleague is Clarissa Fairchild."  
Clary nervously stepped forward at the mention of her name.  
"It's a pleasure to see all of you," Clary told the Downworlder representatives. "And I am sure it will also be a pleasure to work with you in the present and future."

The meeting proceeded after this, with the point of discussion being how to deal with some recent suspicious murders where mundanes were found with both claw marks and bite marks, indicating that the murderers were a vampire and a werewolf. It ended up being decided that the leadership of the vampire clan and the werewolf pack would investigate the matter themselves, but defer to the Institute and the Clave for any judicial matters, even though the punishment for murdering a mundane was well-known throughout the Downworld. As the meeting progressed, Clary's nerves settled slightly. However, she was still intensely relieved when the meeting concluded and the Downworlder representatives left the Institute. Clary walked through to the sofa and collapsed onto the sofa. Jace walked into the lounge and saw his girlfriend collapsed on the sofa. Jace sat by Clary, who was lying down, and stroked her hair. This did calm the female Shadowhunter, at least slightly.  
"You did great, Clary." Jace told Clary as both an observation and a compliment. Clary smiled appreciatively. The two stayed in silence, both appreciating the calm. Later that evening, Simon and Isabelle walked into the lounge to see the two curled up together, both fast asleep. Simon and Isabelle then turned and left the sitting room, leaving the sleeping couple in peace. Both knew that the job scared both Jace and Clary, and that Jace was just better at hiding it, whilst Clary was obviously more worried about her responsibilities as Institute head.

September, 2032:  
There was a sound from the entrance hall as the parents concluded whatever their formal business was. Charlie and Ros exchanged a look, silently checking whether they were ready for what they planned to do. The expression that the two looked at each other with told each other that they were. So, they stood and exited the lounge. Intrigued, the three other Shadowhunters followed the couple to the entrance hall. The entry of the five teenagers into the entrance hall drew the attention of the six parents.  
"What's going on?" Clary asked Charlie.  
"Well, Ros and I have something to announce." Charlie stated. The parents all looked even more curious.  
"Could we talk about this in the sitting room?" Ros queried. The parents nodded, and followed the teenagers back to the sitting room. Charlie and Ros stood in view of everyone else. The Lovelaces sat on one sofa, whilst the other three Herondales and two Arcargents sat on the other sofa.  
"So, what's this announcement?" Jace asked, sounding slightly worried about Charlie. Charlie and Ros held hands and both took a deep breath. The two turned to each other.  
"Do you want to tell them, or shall I?" Charlie asked her fiancé.  
"Together?" Ros suggested. Charlie nodded.  
"On 3, then;" Ros commented. "1, 2, 3-"  
"We're getting married!" Charlie and Ros stated perfectly simultaneously. There were a few moments of silence as the couple's audience let the declaration sink in. The first to react to the declaration were the Lovelace parents.  
"Mazel tov!" Simon congratulated, breaking some others in the audience out of their stupor. Cecily jumped up and hugged her parabatai tightly. Charlie appreciatively hugged Cecily back. Will also stood and walked over, congratulating the couple and hugging his sister. These congratulations were repeated by Jordan and Isabelle, as well as Ros' parents. However, both Jace and Clary seemed to be frozen in shock. Charlie noticed this.  
"Mum? Dad? Are you OK?" Charlie asked which seemed to shake the two Herondale parents out of their trance.  
"Yes, Charlie." Jace assured his daughter. "It's just a lot to take in, is all."  
"I agree with that." Clary commented. "It feels like only yesterday you were getting your first runes."  
Charlie blushed slightly. Slightly faded memories of that day flashed through the minds of all the American Shadowhunters, especially the Herondales.

January, 2027:  
It was week after Charlie's 12th birthday, and today was the day that she would be receiving her Voyance rune, the first of many as she became a more responsible Shadowhunter. She was the youngest child in the Institute, so had watched the effects of the runes on her brother and friends as they went through their own rites of passage. She's even watched her brother and Jordan's parabatai ceremony only a few months before. However, Charlie was a bit conflicted about the runes. Whilst she was excited for the opportunities that would open to her, and the maturity she felt she'd gain with runes, she was still worried that something could go wrong. At that point in time, the worry was greater than the excitement. She was sitting on the floor in her bedroom, with her back and head against the wall. She was hyperventilating, and freaking out about the possibilities of the ceremony going wrong. Her parents were downstairs, waiting for the arrival of one of the Silent Brothers, whilst the Lovelace children were out with their parents, though they promised to be back before the runing took place. So, when there was a knock on Charlie's bedroom door, she was quickly able to deduce who it was.  
"What is it, Will?" Charlie asked, her worry unintentionally sounding like annoyance.  
"I heard you hyperventilating from the stairs." Will remarked. "I came to check you were alright."

Charlie felt her cheeks heat up. She stood from her slumped position and opened the door, revealing her elder brother. Will was attempting to replicate Jace's hairstyle at the time, but had seemed to have failed rather spectacularly. His hair was a mess, but unlike Jace's which seemed to suit him, the mess didn't suit Will, at least not yet. When Charlie opened the door, Will gave a comforting smile.  
"It's alright to feel nervous." Will assured the younger Herondale. "Today's a big day for you."  
"Will it hurt?" Charlie asked, both curious and worried. The 13-year-old thought for a moment about how to word his answer.  
"It doesn't hurt that much, It's more of an odd feeling, a bit discomforting is all." Will assured his younger sister. The pair sat, leaning against the wall and facing each other.  
"What if something goes wrong?" Charlie queried, her worry clear to hear and see.  
"Mum, Dad, and I will all be there to make sure nothing does," Will assured Charlie. "so will a Silent Brother. Plus, both of our parent's families have ancient Shadowhunter bloodlines. You'll be fine."  
Will didn't mention the potential side effects in fear of increasing Charlie's worry. Will had suffered from a few side effects, hallucinating slightly and struggling to stay awake. Will answered the remainder of Charlie's questions, reducing Charlie's worry as he did. Soon enough, the two Herondales walked downstairs to join their parents, just as the Shadowhunter, Brother Shadrach, arrived to run the ceremony. The Lovelaces arrived just before the rune was drawn. Later, after the runing, Charlie was drowsy, one of the most common side effects. However, the side effects wore off in the next few days and she was back to her usual self.

September, 2032  
"We can't be happier for you." Jace continued to assure Charlie, after Clary's comment about how grown up Charlie had become. Both Clary and Jace then stood and walked over. They hugged their daughter and future daughter-in-law. With the congratulations over, the assembled Shadowhunters sat on the sofas.  
"So, have you made any plans yet for the wedding?" Clary asked Charlie and Ros.  
"Only some basic details, like where the actual ceremony will be." Charlie responded. "We're holding it in Idris."  
There were a few remarks of agreement from the captivated Shadowhunters.  
"We've also made a few decisions about bridesmaids and some... brides' men?" Ros stated, querying whether the word actually was in the English language. Cecily, Will, and Jordan, all leaned forward to hear whether they had a role during the wedding. All three did have roles to play, as did Amatis. There were also a few pairs from Ros' group of friends in France. The group continued to listen to Charlie and Ros outline the wedding details they had confirmed so far. However, the discussion was interrupted by Will's phone buzzing. He checked it and looked at Charlie with purpose. Charlie nodded. Both Herondale children stood.  
"We just have a quick errand to run." Charlie remarked, before the other Shadowhunters tried to protest.  
"Don't worry. I can give them the rest of the details." Ros assured her fiancé. Both Herondales kissed their respective girlfriends then hurried out of the Institute. Their destination was a few blocks away from the Institute, at a mundane bookshop. Jordan had borrowed a copy of Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' from Simon, and as a birthday present, Cecily and Will had been able to find original copies of the rest of the Middle-Earth series, and had them delivered to a local bookshop to collect. The collection was easy enough, and the pair began to walk back towards the Institute. However, they were only a block away when a figure stepped out in front of them, stopping the two siblings in their tracks.  
"Hello, Herondales." Mortmain greeted coldly but smirking. Whilst Mortmain was completely calm, and seemingly unthreatening, both Herondales were frozen in fear. Behind his back, Will took his phone out of a pocket and speed dialled his mum. Still in the lounge in the Institute, Clary took out her phone as it was ringing and saw it was Will calling her. She answered and before she could say anything, she heard Charlie's voice in the background of the phone call.  
"What do you want, Mortmain?" Clary heard Charlie ask. The mention of 'Mortmain' worried Clary. Before she could even hear Mortmain's response, Clary had hung up and advised the others of what was happening. The Shadowhunters sprang into action. Meanwhile with Charlie and Will, an army of rogue Downworlders assembled behind Mortmain. As they were Shadowhunters, both Will and Charlie had small weaponry, namely both held daggers and a couple knives. They braced themselves for the obviously impending attack and hoped that backup would arrive soon.

In the Institute, everything was geared up and armed. They were also taking more weapons than they would usually take, so that they could arm the two Herondale children when they reached them. Every single inhabitant of the Institute had a similar thought: 'Please let them be alright until we get there'. Nobody mentioned it, but every Shadowhunter felt that something bad was going to happen, and that no matter how hard any of them tried, there was nothing they could do about it.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. The next chapter is going to be a bit of a doozy to write, so it may take some time. However, most of my chaps are prepared ahead of time, alongside author notes, so who knows, I could already have it written when you read this. Quick preview, though: Mortmain is back, and out for blood. He's cornered Will and Cecily, a fair distance from help. The New York Shadowhunters have to fight to keep their family safe, and for one, they sacrifice more than just blood. So, next week is the major climax. However, it won't be the end. To be honest, I'm not even sure where this story should end. Look for a poll on my profile in the coming weeks, about the continuance of this story. Anyway, please remember to review, as I love to hear what you guys have to say. And, of course, as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: ...and Final Battles**

September, 2032  
The Shadowhunters fanned out into the New York night, trying to find any trace of the two Herondale siblings. The two Lovelace children teamed up with Ros, and were a block away from the Institute when Cecily spotted something familiar. Will's phone was lying in the middle of the pavement, but there was no other sign of the two Herondales. By this point, both of the Lovelace siblings were nearly hysterical with worry for their parabatai.  
"Where are they?!" Jordan asked as a yell, his worry obvious in the tone and volume of his voice.  
"I have no idea!" Cecily yelled back. Ros stepped between the squabbling siblings.  
"Now is not the time." Ros scolded the two Lovelaces My fiancé and future brother in law, who are also both of your parabatai, are both missing. We need to try and find them, and quickly."  
Both Lovelaces nodded, putting aside their argument for now. Cecily called her mum, who was looking with Jace, whilst Jordan called his dad, who was looking with Clary. After they had relayed what they found, they were told to report back to the Institute. The teenagers and parents arrived at the Institute nearly simultaneously. They walked inside, and to the strategy room. The group of Shadowhunters pored over a map of New York. Cecily and Jordan had pointed out where they had found Will's phone, so the group were focusing on a 5-mile radius, given the speed of Downworlders. Using their parabatai bond, Simon and Clary attempted to track Will through his phone, but they couldn't see anything.  
"We're going to need help with the tracking." Izzy stated, walking towards the Institute's landline.

About half an hour later, Magnus and Alec arrived at the Institute, ready to help. Izzy had briefed them over the phone, so they didn't need to be given any more details. Without a word to Jace or Clary, Magnus started casting tracking magic on Will's phone. His brow furrowed as he did, and a few moments later, the spell cut out.  
"I can't see him either." Magnus remarked, sounding apologetic towards the two Herondale parents. However, this caused a possible theory to form in Clary's head.  
"Mortmain wants the entire family to suffer, right?" Clary asked. The other Shadowhunters around the room nodded.  
"So, if he's going to kill Will and Cecily, then he'll want it to have the maximum damage, he'll want Jace and me to see it happen. That means they're still alive. That also means they must be near water, then, if we can't track them." Clary deduced. "That's the only explanation for where they could be."  
The others silently accepted this and looked over their search area. There was only a small area, about 8 square miles, that was sufficiently near a river. So, the parents had reduced the search area from around 80 square miles to 8. This made Clary and Jace a bit more hopeful.  
"Well, then they can't be in this area, as that's heavily monitored by the Institute, and the werewolf pack." Jace commented, pointing at an area on the left of the smaller search area, which reduced the search area by a further 3 square miles. The area that was left was mostly docks, with a few warehouses.  
"So, we have a smaller area to search. We need to move quickly." Jace ordered, making use of his Institute head role, though he was incredibly worried for the safety of his son and daughter. Everyone in the room nodded and headed out of the Institute towards the search area.

Meanwhile, in Mortmain's warehouse hideout, the two Herondale children had been tied to chairs, and gagged. Mortmain paced in front of the two siblings, sharpening a sword unlike anything Will and Charlie had seen before. It was made of a dark metal, and seemed to absorb light from immediately around it. There were runes across the hilt of the sword. Cecily and Will recognised a few: there was a rune for agony, and various other torture runes that the Clave had outlawed, but still could be found in older copies of the Grey Book.  
"You know, I thought that it would be a lot more difficult to take you, but I guess you're nothing without your mum and dad to help you." Mortmain sneered at the two siblings. "Or those irritating Lovelaws, or whatever they're called."  
Both Will and Charlie stared at Mortmain with pure hate; nobody insulted their parabatai and wasn't punished.  
"So, you probably want to ask how I got so many followers from the Downworld." Mortmain remarked, though this wasn't the case in truth. However, the idea had flittered through the minds of pretty much all the Institute's inhabitants at some point over the last few months. Mortmain looked at Will and Cecily as if they were going to respond even though the two Herondale siblings had their mouths gagged shut.  
"Well, it's not exactly difficult to find Downworlders who feel wronged by the Clave in this day and age." Mortmain continued to his literally captive audience. "It's not just Downworlders either. Anyway, I was able to find a few who shared my disdain for the Clave's ways, and slowly the numbers of followers grew. I stoked their anger at the Clave, and pretty much all Shadowhunters until they were willing to do whatever it took to take down the Clave, and anyone who tried to defend it."  
The most worrying part of that particular statement, for Charlie and Will, was when Mortmain said that it wasn't just Downworlders. Both Herondales had made similar deductions almost instantly. Their fears were confirmed when Mortmain was interrupted by a young woman walking over to the vampire. She was dressed in all black, with dark hair. A flash of skin showed familiar runes: the woman, who supported Mortmain over the Institute and the Clave, was a Shadowhunter. Mortmain sensed and turned to the new entrant.  
"What is it?" Mortmain asked, sounding annoyed that he was interrupted.  
"I'm sorry to interrupt sir, but the rest of the Shadowhunters have just reached the docks." The as yet unnamed Shadowhunter told Mortmain. Mortmain smirked.  
"That's quicker than I expected. Assemble everyone. Tonight, we're going to remove the Clave's control over this city." Mortmain stated. The Shadowhunter nodded and left, without even looking at Will or Charlie.  
"Now, I have an army to lead. However, you two will be right their beside me." Mortmain spoke directly to the two Herondales. He then gestured to a pair of Downworlders behind the two siblings, before turning and exiting the room. The two Downworlders approached and untied the two Herondales' binds to the chair, Their hands were still tied together. However, an idea flashed through both Shadowhunters' minds. In one swift move, the two Herondales spun, picked up the chairs they were tied to, and hit the Downworlders with them. Both Downworlders crumpled into a heap. The two Herondale siblings pulled their gags down.  
"Are you alright, Charlie?" Will queried, worried for his younger sister.  
"I will be when we get out of here. We have to warn the others!" Charlie remarked. The noise was enough to draw a guard, who was presumably standing at the room's door, into the room. Both ran at the Shadowhunters, who dodged. As the Downworlders passed, Charlie grabbed the knife from the guard's belt, whilst Will tripped the guard, and kicked them in the head and stomach for good measure. Charlie, fuelled by adrenaline and worry, quickly cut through her and Will's bindings and the two ran out of the room. They found themselves in a corridor and heard footsteps approaching from either direction. Now, it was Will's turn to save his sister, as he spotted an air duct, just low enough to climb into. The pair quickly pried open the vent and began to crawl through the ventilation shafts of the warehouse. It was dark and the two siblings stumbled round. Mortmain had relieved the pair of everything helpful: Phones, steles, witchlights. As they approached what they thought was the outside of the building, the vent suddenly became a ramp and both Cecily and Will slid down, hitting through the exit vent at the other end. They landed on a pile of rubbish, just outside the warehouse. from where they were lying, dazed from the fall, they could see docks and the river. However, worryingly, they also saw a steady stream of Downworlders, coming from the warehouse's usual exit, heading to some point in the distance. After the two had recovered from the unexpected drop, they both jumped and ran towards the entrance to the docks, where they hoped to find their parents and parabatai.

Not knowing about the army that was approaching them, the other Shadowhunters from the Institute made their way into the docks. As they did, both Cecily and Jordan felt a pull, as if there was a part of them that was missing and trying to come back. Both realised that it was the parabatai bond drawing them towards the Herondale siblings.  
"I can sense her!" Cecily declared about Charlie, at the same moment that Jordan made a similar remark about Will. The two children then ran off in the direction the pull they were feeling seemed to come from, with the adults and Ros trailing slightly behind. However, the two teenagers halted when they saw a sight that filled them with dread. Approaching was an army of various Downworlders, and they were approaching quickly. At the head of the army, that was closing in fast, was Mortmain. Both Jordan and Cecily cursed, loudly. Unfortunately, this was at the same moment that their parents, the other adults, and Ros caught up with them. Izzy went to scold her children, then saw what they were cursing at. All the Shadowhunters readied themselves as Mortmain's army spotted them.  
"Charge!" Mortmain ordered his army. Their army surged forward towards the group of Shadowhunters.  
"They outnumber us at least 10 to 1. I don't like our odds here." Simon stated as the army approached.  
"We've dealt with worse." Jace responded calmly. Simon would have protested if it weren't for the fact that a few seconds later, Mortmain's army reached the Shadowhunters. The Shadowhunters defended themselves, and the others around them. However, the attack patterns of the army split up the group into smaller fragments. The army purposefully separated the teenagers from the parents. Two werewolves went to pounce on the three, ready to shred the three teenagers to bits. However, when they were mid pounce, there was a whistling and a flash of metal. The wolves jolted sideways and rolled into the army, knocking a few of the other Downworlders onto the ground. There was the sound of running and a familiar voice.  
"By the Angel, it's good to see you guys." The person remarked. The three teenagers turned slightly to see Will and Charlie standing there. Both were scratched up, and had reddened wrists. The other three would have hugged the two Herondales if it weren't for the smell that seemed to be coming from them, and the Downworlders who still surrounded them. Both Cecily and Jordan had a spare seraph blade and tossed it to their respective parabatai, who caught it with ease. Now with five of them fighting, instead of just three of them, the Shadowhunters were able to start making progress towards the parents. However, suddenly, the teenagers were all pulled in different directions. Whilst the two Herondales, Ros, and Cecily struggled against the Downworlders holding them, Jordan was dragged through the Downworlder army to Mortmain. The Lovelace tried to struggle, but he was unable to escape from his captor's grasp.  
"I said the sister!" Mortmain sneered at the Downworlder. "I guess this one will have to do. We'll get around to the others soon enough."  
This rather threatening statement made Jordan struggle even more, trying to get free. Mortmain drew his sword and seemed to admire it.  
"I'm sure you recognise at least a few of these runes." Mortmain remarked. "I had a lot of help from my Nephilim followers, as well as this warlock in Europe. You see, this warlock came up with an idea. This sword is obviously very deadly to the person who is stabbed, but there's a double purpose. Any person bound to the stabbed person who will all be Shadowhunters, say parabatai or partners, will suffer the same amount of pain as the one who is injured."  
"You're sick!" Jordan yelled at Mortmain.  
"People said that about Galileo, and Archimedes. All the forward thinkers were thought to be sick until people saw the benefits of their ideas." Mortmain remarked. He prepared to shove the sword forwards, and Jordan made a last ditch attempt to get free. He also heard his parents, Cecily, and Will all shouting to him. He looked back and forth, his fear becoming more obvious. He saw the people he loved most in the world trying to get through the Downworlder army towards him. However, their efforts were in vain as before they could, Mortmain thrust the sword forwards and stabbed Jordan directly through the chest. There was a yell of pain, but it took Jordan a moment to realise it wasn't him screaming. The sword, which was pulled out a few moments later, had stripped Jordan of his breath and voice. Instead, Will had collapsed and was holding his chest as if he'd been stabbed himself.

Will watched helplessly as Mortmain drove the sword into Jordan. As the sword stabbed his parabatai, Will felt a pain tear through him. It felt as if his own heart had been ripped in half and the Herondale couldn't help but yell. The pain caused Will's legs to give out from under him. However, Will was able to reduce the damage by putting his hands out in front of him. He looked up and saw Mortmain holding Jordan who was slowly dying. The murderous vampire was smirking

Charlie was by Cecily's side as the pair pushed towards Jordan and Mortmain, trying to save Cecily's little brother. They were so close when the sword plunged into Jordan and they heard a yell of pain from elsewhere in the battle. Through their parabatai bond, Charlie felt Cecily's grief, shock, and rage at what she had just observed. However, there was also more rage and grief, which Charlie felt came from somebody else. However, the shared feelings as well as her own awoke something deep in Charlie. It felt like fire began to run through her veins. Cecily turned and her eyes widened as she looked at Charlie. As the fire grew inside Charlie, Jace and Izzy reached their daughters. Clary and Simon were still fighting the Downworlders, trying to get to Will who had collapsed in pain.  
"Cecily, you need to get back." Jace ordered the Lovelace, looking worriedly at his daughter. As both were looking at Charlie with worry, she wondered what was going on. It was then that she realised that, alongside the fire in her blood, she was beginning to glow. This frightened Charlie.  
"Dad, what's happening?" She asked worriedly. The Downworlders around the two adult and two teenage Shadowhunters backed away at the sight of the glow, leaving an open path to Mortmain  
"That's angelic fire." Izzy stated. "How is that possible?"  
"It's probably a genetic thing." Jace joked, trying to reduce Charlie's, and his own worry. "Charlie, you can control this."  
Charlie nodded. However, she suddenly felt like a passenger in her own body. Her arms raised and pointed straight at Mortmain. A burst of light emanated from her hands and rushed towards him, obliterating him from sight. It did more than that, as when the light faded, all that was left of Mortmain was a pile of ash. Seeing their leader obliterated caused Mortmain's army to retreat and disappear into the night. However, all the Institute's Shadowhunters, as well as Magnus, ran to Jordan. Will was the first to arrive, having pushed through the pain. The Herondale had snatched his mum's stele, and furiously drawing all the healing runes he could think of. However, nothing happened and Will broke into tears.  
"Don't cry, Will." Jordan croaked, looking at his parabatai calmly. "This was fate. My dad said so."  
It was at that moment that the parents realised that their children, or at least Jordan, had eavesdropped on the conversation about the faerie prophecy.  
"It's my fault." Will remarked, still crying as he relentlessly tried to save his parabatai. "I should have had your back."  
"Please, don't blame yourself for this." Jordan ordered Will. Jordan's voice was growing weaker by the second. Jordan turned to Cecily.  
"Cecily, care for Will please;" Jordan instructed his sister. Cecily stepped forwards and kneeled by her brother's side. "Promise me you will care for him."  
"I promise." Cecily assured Jordan, though she was also crying.  
"You take care of her, as well." Jordan instructed Will. The Herondale nodded, as his pain and tears had seemed to have robbed him of his voice.  
"Tell Amatis that I love her." Jordan remarked, tearing up. "And that I wish I could be there for her when it happens."  
This confused the other Shadowhunters.  
"What do you mean?" Cecily asked. "What do you mean 'when it happens'?"  
"You'll find out soon enough." Jordan remarked. "It's her secret to tell."  
Jordan's breath was getting short and the pauses between his words were getting longer. Knowing his time was short, Jordan began to say his goodbyes to the rest of the Shadowhunters. His parents were tearful, and still in shock at the scene. They couldn't believe that their youngest child was dying right in front of them. Jace and Clary tried to keep a brave face for their parabatai, and their children. However, all the adult Shadowhunters were wary that history had repeated itself, with the youngest family member dying despite the actions of all the others to save them. Jordan held the hands of his sister and parabatai, smiling as he breathed his final breath. When Jordan's grip on Cecily's and Will's hands loosened, both the Lovelace and the Herondale broke into tears again. However, as the adrenaline from the fight wore off, Will's pain returned and he collapsed, falling into the dark of unconsciousness.

A day later, Will woke up in the Institute's infirmary. Beside him, Cecily was sitting in a chair and had nodded off. When Will woke up, his chest felt sore. It was nothing compared to just after Jordan had been stabbed, but it still made the Herondale groan, making his girlfriend wake up. She wiped her eyes and looked at Will.  
"Hi Will." Cecily greeted, looking drowsy. "How are you feeling?"  
"I feel a bit sore." Will responded. "How are you holding up?"  
"I've been better. I was worried about you, and of course, everyone's grieving." Cecily remarked. Will looked at Cecily comfortingly.  
"I'm so sorry, Cecily." Will stated.  
"It's not your fault." Cecily assured Will. Will was able to sit up and took Cecily's hands in his.  
"I mean it. Jordan was my parabatai. I should have been there to keep him safe." Will explained.  
"I mean what I said too." Cecily argued fervently. "We all screwed up that night. We got overrun by the army, and Jordan paid the price for our mistakes."  
"Did you tell Amatis what happened?" Will queried. Amatis nodded. The two stayed in silence, thinking over what they had lost.

 **A/N: I hope that this chapter was substantial. I don't often kill off characters, but it was in the plan since I wrote Chapter 9… This will not be the end. I still have four more chapters planned then I want your opinions on whether this story should continue. I have an idea for a potential plot extension, but whether I go through with it is up to you. Anyway, please remember to review and I'll see you in the next chapter.**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Family Funerals...**

 **A/N: Trigger warnings about death and grief. If you feel this would affect you badly, I would advise you to skip to Chapter 17 (if it's up).**

October, 2031:  
It was a sombre day in the Institute. Over the last few weeks, the families had been dealing with a truth none of them wanted. Jordan, who was only the second youngest of the inhabitants, had been killed. Everyone was dealing with the death slightly differently. Izzy was clinging onto objects that reminded her of her lost son; Simon desperately tried to console his wife, and could often be found staring off into the distance, in shock; Cecily threw herself into her training, using her grief and anger to fuel her aggression. The most affected by the death, however, seemed to be Will. He blamed himself for Jordan's death, despite the repeated assurances of his family. As such, he became more reclusive, closing himself off in his room for hours on end. Clary and Jace barely saw their son for the weeks after Jordan's death, and when they did, Will was a shell of himself: his eyes, which had been bright and hopeful, were bloodshot from tears and restless nights and dull, as if the teenage Herondale's spirit had been sucked out of him. He always wore a gaunt expression and was permanently looking at the ground. To say that the other inhabitants of the Institute were worried would be an understatement. When anyone had tried to get through to him, Will had been introverted and shut off. In his mind, Jordan's death was his fault and the grief is his punishment, so he should have no help in dealing with it.

That day in October, most of the Institute's inhabitants were standing in the entrance hall, dressed in their funeral whites. Charlie and Cecily had been able to coax Will out of his room for the funeral, and the trio was standing with Clary and Jace. Cecily was holding Will's hand, both to support him, as well as so she could deal with her own grief, at least slightly. They were waiting on the carriages that would take them to the Silent City, as well as the two Lovelace parents who hadn't emerged yet. Surprisingly, it was Simon who was holding the time up, as he seemed to be in this state of denial over what happened. As the carriage's arrival time approached, Clary headed up the stairs to help Izzy get Simon downstairs. Clary's assistance seemed to be the needed catalyst as the three adults came down the stairs into the entrance hall, just as the carriages from the Silent City rolled up to the Institute's entrance. The Shadowhunters all entered the carriages which then drove to the Silent City. The Shadowhunters were silent for the whole trip. They reached the Silent City and entered. Will was struck by a memory from what felt like a lifetime ago, when he and Jordan became parabatai.

May, 2028:  
Will and Jordan were standing inside the Silent City. They were both incredibly nervous, as today was the day of their parabatai ceremony. It had taken a while for Will to get Jordan to agree. He had been trying to persuade the younger Lovelace from when Jordan had gotten his first rune. Of course, the two were best friends and were definitely suitable to be each other's parabatai. Jordan's hesitation was more due to the ceremony, with the whole 'engulfed in fire' thing. Will finally convinced Jordan with Simon's help. Simon told his son about his own ascension. This, alongside a remark from Jace about how the fire in the ceremony was the same fire that ran through every Shadowhunter's veins, finally convinced Jordan to agree to become Will's parabatai. So, that was how they found themselves surrounded by the Silent Brothers, preparing for the ceremony that would bind them for the rest of their lives. Both Will's and Jordan's parents and sisters were alongside the two boys, there to support them and watch the ceremony. When the two sons were called forwards, they shared a quick hug with their parents before stepping forwards into the circles of flame for the ceremony. Both Jordan and Will recited their oaths, and drew the runes. Before either of them completely realised it, the two boys were bound as parabatai. On the way back to the Institute, Jordan and Will discussed what they would get up to as parabatai. However, it didn't work as expected, with Will falling ill within the week. Of course, this was passed onto Jordan who never left his parabatai's side.

October, 2031:  
After this memory had flashed through Will's head, he realised that he was lagging slightly behind the rest of the group, and quickly caught up. They entered the room where the funeral was being held. The funeral pyre was set up, and Jordan's body lay beside it. The eyes were wrapped in white silk, as was Shadowhunter custom. Maryse and Robert were already in the room, as was Alec. When the Shadowhunters from the Institute entered, the other Lightwoods immediately stepped forwards. Alec hugged Izzy comfortingly, as did Maryse and Robert. The Lightwoods didn't often show emotion towards each other, but they all knew what the death of a child did to the family members. Meanwhile, seeing her brother's dead body caused Cecily to tear up. She gripped Will's hand tighter, and the Herondale turned to the Lovelace. Realising what was happening inside Cecily's head, Will put a comforting arm around Cecily's waist. Cecily leant her head on the Herondale's shoulder, trying to hide her face so she could cry. In addition to the original show of emotion, which had been the most 'Will' Will had been for weeks, Will spoke the first words that any other Shadowhunter had heard him say since Jordan's death.  
"I'm so sorry." Will whispered to Cecily; The Lovelace shook her head, and looked up at the Herondale.  
"Will, you need to stop blaming yourself." Cecily remarked. "It is not your fault. I need you to be yourself again. We've all lost Jordan, we don't want to lose you too."  
"It's not about Jordan;" Will assured Cecily. "I know I've been distant for the last few weeks, and I wanted to say sorry for that. I just didn't want you guys to see me like… like this."  
Cecily looked at the Herondale, trying to be brave for her boyfriend.  
"You don't have to be afraid around me." Cecily assured the Herondale, who was able to muster a smile. "I will love you, no matter what."  
The two stayed together, comforting each other. On one of the Silent Brother's instruction, Simon stepped forwards. It was customary for the family of the dead to say a few words before the body was burnt. As Izzy was currently being comforted by Maryse, Simon decided to speak first.  
"My son was definitely a character." Simon started. "He always loved his family, more so than anybody humanly could. He inspired trust in his friends, and made sure that it was deserved, such as when he saved his friends from a horde of demons."  
Simon then retold a story from a few weeks after Jordan had received his first rune.

October, 2026:  
It was a brisk day in New York. Will, Cecily, and Charlie were all on patrol. However, Jordan was told to stay in the Institute, due to some adverse side effects of his new runes. Charlie was on patrol, learning the basics, before she got her runes. The trio on patrol were near Times Square when they noticed something out of the ordinary. Charlie spotted a few demons slither into an alleyway off the square. The three Shadowhunters jumped into the square and ran over to the alleyway. However, as soon as the three entered the alleyway, they realised that the problem was far greater than one or two demons. There was a whole horde in the alleyway, and the three children were quickly cornered. Cecily and Will stood in front of Charlie, protecting the younger girl from the demons. As they fought off the demons, their enemies seemed to grow in number. Eventually, Will and Cecily were tired out and a demon loomed over the trio of Shadowhunters. However, just as it was about to kill its prey, it burst into ash.  
Standing where the demon had once been was Jordan, looking sickly but full of rage. As soon as he had swung the blade and killed the demon, Jordan dropped the blade and nearly collapsed himself. If it weren't for his sister catching him, he would have fallen to the ground. He had used up his lessened energy due to the side effects to save the three other children.

October, 2031:  
"My son was always looking out for his friends. He was a son, a brother, and a fantastic Shadowhunter." Simon concluded his eulogy. "Pulvis et umbra sumus."  
There was a murmured repeat of 'pulvis et umbra sumus' from around the room.  
 _Is there anybody else who would like to say something?_ One of the Silent Brothers asked the congregation of mourners. Will took a deep breath and stepped forwards.  
"May I say something?" Will asked, directing it towards the Lovelace parents. Simon nodded and smiled appreciatively.  
"Of course you can, Will." Simon assured the Herondale. "Jordan saw you as a brother, after all."  
Will nodded in thanks, and stepped forwards, turning to face the other Shadowhunters. He took a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket.  
"Jordan was my parabatai for three years." Will started. "However, we've known each other, well, since before I can remember. I'd like to think that we were brothers, long before we were parabatai. I always stood up for Jordan, and he always did the same for me. No matter when or why one of us needed the other, we always tried to be there for each other. Of course, as you guys know, I wasn't particularly good when it came to the training assessments."

April, 2020:  
It was the early evening in New York, when there were four letters delivered. A Clave representative had visited a few weeks previously to administer an assessment for the two Herondale children and two Lovelace children. The letters contained a notice from the Clave on whether the children had passed or failed the training assessment. All the children opened the envelopes simultaneously and read their results. Whilst Jordan, Cecily, and Charlie were elated when they read their results, Will quickly exited the lounge. The rest of the Shadowhunters heard him climb the stairs, and his door closed loudly. The Herondale parents shared an understanding glance: Will didn't deal with failure or rejection well. However, whilst they were silently contemplating what to do, Jordan had made a decision and headed up the stairs. When he came to Will's bedroom door, he tried to open it. However, there was a weight against it. Jordan knocked.  
"Go away!" Will ordered from the other side of the door.  
"It's Jordan, not your parents, or sister." Jordan stated. "I just want to talk. If you don't want to be seen, then I'll stand out here."  
There was no sound from inside the room. Jordan sat and leant against the door.  
"You know, these training assessments don't make you any less of a Shadowhunter." Jordan told Will through the door. "A failure just means you need to do a few extra classes. Plus, you were sick during the assessment, so you weren't your usual self."  
Jordan began to hear movement inside Will's bedroom.  
"I'm tired of failing though." Will confessed, though he hadn't opened the door yet.  
"Well, failure is a part of life, as my dad says. You are a fantastic Shadowhunter, Will. Sure, you might not pass all your tests, but that doesn't mean you're any worse as a Shadowhunter." Jordan assured his best friend. "That will show when the time comes."  
This finally caused Will to open the door. His cheeks were stained with some tears. Jordan offered a comforting hug to the Herondale, who kindly accepted it.

October, 2031:  
"Jordan was there for me, for Charlie, and for Cecily," Will eulogised. "through every success and every failure. He showed all of us what it meant to be a Shadowhunter, and who we should all aspire to be. _Ave atque Vale_ _,_ Jordan Lovelace, Hail and Farewell. _Pulvis et umbra Sumus_ _."  
_ Once again, the assembled mourners repeated the Latin saying. After Will's eulogy, he stepped back to Cecily and tightly clasped her hand once again. When Cecily looked at Will, the Herondale's eyes were glistening with tears. There was nobody else present who wanted to say a few words, mostly due to the emotions that made them speechless. Jordan's corpse was moved to the pyre. As the pyre was lit, Cecily, who had been keeping a brave face the entire day for her parents and for Will, finally lost control of all her bottled-up emotions and began to sob. Hearing this, Will hugged her into his chest, so she could have some privacy, and so that she didn't have to look at the scene in front of them. Internally, Cecily was thankful and she clung onto Will, afraid that she might lose him as well in an instant.

Later, the families walked back to the Institute. As soon as they entered, Izzy ran to her and Simon's shared bedroom, with her husband following to console her. Will was struck by a quote from 'Brushstrokes of a Gadfly', a book he had 'borrowed' from Jocelyn and Luke: 'grief is the price we pay for love'. It was a few hours later that the Institute received a phone call. Clary answered the phone, as the Lovelace parents were elsewhere, along with Jace, who was insisting on helping to console his sister. Maryse and Robert had to attend other matters, whilst Magnus and Alec had received a call from Max, about some other issue.  
"Hello?" Clary greeted the person who was phoning.  
"Clary!" Jocelyn replied. Clary's mum sounded worried, so this made Clary's own worry spike.  
"What's happened?" Clary asked, ready to deal with whatever problem had Jocelyn so worried  
"It's Amatis. She's gone." Jocelyn sounded on the edge of tears. In the background, Clary could hear Luke shouting, probably on the phone to Maia or another pack member.  
"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Clary queried.  
"She didn't come down for dinner, so I went to check and her window was open and she was gone." Jocelyn explained to her daughter. "Clary, she left a note."  
The tone of Jocelyn's voice, as well as the context caused Clary to shudder.  
"I'll get everyone here to help find her." Clary assured her mum before hanging up. They had to find Amatis, and quickly, before she did something drastic.

 **A/N: Please remember to review. Also, a lot of this chapter was based off my personal experiences with grief. When I was 11, my best friend died (from illness, not murder). Ever since, I've been dealing with grief and even depression, and I've exhibited all the different behaviours that the characters showed (Shock, anger, depression, etc.) Now, this chapter was pretty dark, and the next is going to be on darker themes as well, so if suicide affects you, I'd advise you to skip the next chapter when it's up. There won't be too much in the plot development department, don't worry. I just felt I needed to get these words on a page and to represent my emotions somehow. Thankfully, the chapter after the next (Chapter 17) will be lighter and happier, I promise. As always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: …and Ledge Conversations**

As soon as Clary put down the phone, she shouted to the other inhabitants of the Institute.  
"Amatis has vanished!" Clary shouted. She immediately heard a clatter from various rooms. A few moments later, the three teenagers all entered the hallway, as did Jace.  
"We need to move. The pack's looking, but she's left a note." Clary informed the other Shadowhunters. After the funeral, the teenagers had changed into their normal gear, so were able to begin their surveillance of the city straight away. All took different angles, and covered the streets quickly. They used any information they could gain from what the Werewolf pack gave them, as well as their personal knowledge of Amatis. However, their attempts were unsuccessful. Charlie was waiting near a subway station when a mundane police car pulled up. A call over the radio piqued Charlie's attention.  
"We have a possible jumper on the Brooklyn Bridge, near the FDR Drive. Female, looks like she's early 20s, and won't listen to our calls." Someone said over the police radio. Without listening to any more, Charlie began towards the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as taking out her phone to call the other Shadowhunters. When she got to the bridge, she spotted the police cars straight away. She looked through the flashing lights, trying her hardest to spot Amatis when someone put their hand on her shoulder. She jumped round to see Will standing there. Cecily was only a few moments behind, having been the furthest away from the bridge of the three.  
"We need to get through to Amatis." Cecily remarked. The three teenagers began to make their way through the police officers and were able to get onto the bridge. They spotted the familiar figure of Amatis standing on the edge of the bridge, seeming ready to jump.  
"Amatis!" All three teenagers shouted, but there was no reaction from the Garroway. Cecily ran forwards and Will quickly followed.  
"Cecily? Will?!" Charlie queried, worried about what her parabatai and her brother were planning on doing. Cecily and Will pushed past the mundane police officers who were trying to talk Amatis out of jumping, and couldn't see the two Shadowhunters, and walked right up to the rails.  
"Amatis, listen to me!" Cecily demanded of the werewolf. "You don't have to do this."  
This caused Amatis to turn slightly so she could see who called her name.  
"Cecily, you shouldn't be here. I need to do this." Amatis stated, sounding resolute about what she was doing.  
"Why?" Will asked. "What purpose will it serve?"  
"Excuse me?" Amatis' voice was tinged with confusion.  
"Why are you doing this?" Will followed up his original question. "You know you can't come back from this."  
"Well, at least when I do, I'll be with Jordan again." Amatis commented.  
"I know that it's hard, that not being with someone you love eats you from the inside out." Will commented. "I was bound to Jordan. We were essentially brothers."  
What Will did next took Cecily, Charlie, and the parents, who had arrived, by surprise. Will stepped over the rail so he was standing directly next to Amatis. He held onto the rail with one hand, and took Amatis' arm in his other, so that he anchored her. Amatis looked at the Herondale, confused by what he was doing.  
"If you're going to do this, you're taking me with you." Will stated. Cecily suddenly realised Will's plan. She decided to help and also stepped over the rails. The parents went to protest but Charlie assured them that Will and Cecily had a plan, even though she didn't know herself for sure.  
"That goes for me too." Cecily added. Cecily and Will joining her seemed to break Amatis' resolve.  
"We all lost Jordan, but we need to live on, for him!" Cecily remarked.  
"If he were here, he wouldn't want you to throw all of this away!" Will added. "I've stood where you have. I was so, so, close to taking my life, so that I would be free from the grief and the pain."  
"What happened?" Amatis asked the Herondale.  
"I was saved by my family, and my friends." Will explained.

One week earlier:  
Will was sat in his room, furiously writing. He had written a note to explain to his parents why he felt what he was about to do was necessary, as well as asking them not to mourn too much, because he would be at piece. From underneath his bed, Will drew a sharp dagger, and he held it to his wrists. However, before he drew his own blood, Will caught sight of a photo on his desk. It was from when the two Herondale and two Lovelace children were only 10. Simon and Clary had decided to take the four out for the day, and show them some of the good bits of growing up as a mundane, namely a theme park. The picture was of the four 10 year olds, all beaming, giddy from the experience and too much sugar. Will paused as he looked at the picture and his mind flashed through his life: moments flashed from helping his sister when she began to walk, to standing by her side in battle; Will remembered the mishaps when he and Cecily began their training, to when he realised that he had fallen in love with the Lovelace. He remembered exploding snow globes and sneaking out. He remembered all the brightest moments in his life. He remembered the love that his parents always had for him and Charlie, regardless of what stupidity the two children may have come up with. Most of all, Will remembered the love that flooded through his veins for his family and friends. In that moment, Will changed his mind. Whilst he had been so set on stopping the pain, he realised that those around him were bearing it too. There was a knock on the door at that moment. Will hid the dagger under his bed, forgetting it for now, and got up to answer the door.

One week later:  
"They made me realise that even though it would stop my pain, suicide would just cause more pain for everyone else. I could never do that to my parents, or my sister. I could _never_ do that to the ones I love."  
Amatis nodded.  
"Let's get off this ledge." Amatis conceded. Cecily and Will helped Amatis to climb over the bridge's railing before climbing over themselves. Immediately, the three teenagers were pulled into crushing hugs by their respective parents.  
"Don't ever do that something like that again!" Izzy ordered Cecily.  
"Mum, I can't breathe!" Cecily responded. After their parents had let go of Cecily and Will, the pair were pulled into another hug by Charlie.  
"What in the name of the Angel were you thinking?!" Charlie asked her brother and her parabatai.  
"I was thinking that something needed to be done to make sure that our grandparents didn't lose their daughter," Will retorted. "And we wouldn't need to go to _another_ funeral."

Amatis was taken home by Jocelyn and Luke whilst the other families headed back to the Institute. Later, as Cecily and Will walked past, they were called into the lounge. All four parents were sat on the sofas, and the two teenagers felt as if they had walked into an intervention.  
"What's going on?" Cecily asked, worried and confused.  
"What you did this evening was incredibly reckless and dangerous." Izzy started.  
"We could have lost either one of you, or even both!" Jace added. Will opened his mouth, ready to apologise, but Cecily spoke first.  
"You didn't though." Cecily interrupted. "That's the point. If it wasn't for what we did, if it wasn't for Will's brilliant quick thinking, we may have still been alive but Amatis probably wouldn't have. Because of those reckless and dangerous actions, there is a girl who is now sitting at home, safe and alive! As for reckless and dangerous, isn't that the same with all Shadowhunters?! When someone we care about is in danger, we do whatever we can to get them out of it. You've taught me, Will, and Charlie that since day 1! It's in our nature to protect others"  
The parents were momentarily speechless. Whilst Cecily was courageous, like any other Shadowhunter, she usually kept it hidden until she was in the heat of a battle. For her to have such an outburst was uncommon. It was Clary that broke the stunned silence.  
"She's right." Clary said to the four other adults. "Amatis is alive because of them. _And_ they were acting as they had been taught to."  
Clary then turned to her son and adoptive niece.  
"We were scared that we might have lost you too tonight." Clary explained to Will and Cecily. "But, it's not just that. You guys are growing up so quickly: Charlie's getting married; you two are essentially engaged."  
"I guess you could say that we're scared because we've cared for you as children, and we're now starting to see you as adults." Simon continued after Clary had trailed off. Now it was Will's and Cecily's turn to be speechless: here were their parents, brave Shadowhunters, admitting their fears, which they hadn't done in front of the children since either Cecily or Will could remember. Not sure of what to say, both teenagers ran forwards and hugged their respective parents. The parents held their eldest children tightly, relishing every moment. After the hug finished, the two teenagers excused themselves from the room and headed upstairs.

Later that night, Jace was woken up by the faint sound of footsteps in the corridor outside his and Clary's shared bedroom. He stood and walked over to the doorway. He looked into the corridor and saw Izzy sitting with her back against one wall, facing a door on the other side of the hallway. The room that the door led to was Jordan's bedroom. Sensing that she needed the company, Jace stepped out of the bedroom, walked over and sat next to his adoptive sister. Izzy turned at the sound of movement.  
"Hey." She greeted in a whisper.  
"Hi." Jace responded, equally quiet. "How are you holding up?"  
Izzy shrugged in response. Her eyes turned back to the door. The door to Jordan's room had remained shut ever since the battle that took his life. It was as if the room held the last vestiges of Jordan's spirit and opening the door would cause them to cease to exist.  
"I keep walking past the door, but I never have built up the courage to open it." Izzy stated. Jace tried to look comforting.  
"It's the last hurdle. Doing it will make it seem real." Jace commented, and Izzy nodded in agreement.  
"My son is gone, Jace. I'm not sure how to deal with that." Izzy confessed. Jace took his sister's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.  
"We'll deal with it the way we always do: as a family." Jace assured Izzy, and the Lovelace nodded appreciatively at this. Whilst they didn't open the door that night, Jace stayed with Izzy until she was ready to go back to her room. Jace slipped back into his and Clary's shared bedroom, and got into the bed without even causing his wife to stir. The Herondale fell asleep, curious about what would happen next for his family, and hoping that no tragedy would befall the Institute for as long as he was head. Hr knew it was a tall ask, but it was still a hope.

 **A/N: Please remember to review. As I mentioned previously, a lot of these two chapters have been based off my own personal experiences with death and grief. In fact, Will's argument about how it would just hurt family was one of the points someone used with me when they were worried about how low I had dropped into depression. Moving swiftly on, I promise that the next couplet will be more positive than this one, as bells are ringing in the distance (hint, hint). I hope to hear from you, and to see you in the next chapter. And, as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Herondale Weddings…**

November, 2031:  
Charlie was standing in a small chamber within a mansion in Idris' countryside, pacing back and forth. She had faced demons, rogue Downworlders, and Mortmain, who was worse than the previous two combined, but the events that were to happen today had her shaking in fear. There was a knock on the door to the chamber. Charlie walked over and opened the door and found Cecily standing on the other side of the doorway, dressed in a flattering gold dress. Cecily immediately noticed Charlie's worried expression and stepped into the room. She took her parabatai's hands in hers and tried to look comforting. **  
**"How did you find me?" Charlie asked. **  
**"I'm your parabatai." Cecily replied. "Not to sound like the Charmings, but we always find each other." **  
**The reference made Charlie smile appreciatively. Charlie and Cecily walked over to a small sofa against the wall of the chamber. **  
**"What's got you so rattled?" The Lovelace asked the Herondale. **  
**"What do you think?" Charlie answered. "Cecily, I'm getting married!"

This was true. The reason why they were in Idris, and why Cecily was dressed in gold, was that it was Charlie and Ros' wedding day. The mansion was the Arcargents'. Ros had lived there briefly as a child, so it had more sentiment for the couple than the Herondale manor would have had.  
"So? That doesn't mean you have to worry about it. Today is the celebration of the love between you and Ros." Cecily assured Charlie. "Everyone who loves you is waiting to see you two declare your love and start the rest of your lives together."

This instilled some confidence in Charlie. At that moment, the two girls' attentions were drawn to a knock at the doorway. They turned to see Will, dressed in a suit with golden runes decorating the jacket. The elder Herondale was speechless for a few moments as he took in the sight before him. Both his girlfriend and his sister looked elegant and more beautiful than he had ever seen them. After he had snapped out of his momentary reverie, Will realised that Charlie had said something to him.  
"Sorry, what did you say?" Will asked.  
"What did you come here for, Will?" Charlie asked again.  
"Excuse me? Oh yeah. Everybody's ready. We're just waiting on you guys." Will remarked. Both Cecily and Charlie nodded. The Herondale girl was the first to stand up. She stepped next to her brother, and Cecily stepped forwards as well, so she was level with the duo.  
"You two, stick by my side." Charlie instructed her brother and her parabatai.  
"We always will." Cecily and Will responded simultaneously. All three remembered when they had first made the vows, however informal: to stick by each other's side, regardless of what happened.

2020  
It was late at night in New York. Due to a rogue warlock's hex a few days prior, aimed at the Shadowhunters while they had been on a training patrol, the two Herondales were suffering badly from night terrors, to such a degree that they were made to sleep in the infirmary, and were given mundane sleeping medication, until such time as Magnus could figure out how to reverse the hex. This didn't stop the more petrifying of the nightmares from waking up the pair. That particular night, Charlie and Will jolted up simultaneously. However, as they began to panic, they caused both Jordan and Cecily to stir. The two Lovelaces had taken it on themselves to ensure that the Herondales' night terrors were dealt with as they happened. As soon as the two Lovelaces noticed the Herondales sitting up, they ran to their lifelong friends' sides.  
"There's nothing to worry about. You two are safe." Jordan and Cecily assured Will and Charlie. Both Charlie and Will calmed.  
"It was horrible!" Charlie stated. "You two turned on us! You- you killed us!"  
"We'd never do that to you." Cecily assured the Herondale. "We'll be by your side, and nothing can change that."  
"Do you promise?" Charlie asked.  
"We both do." Jordan answered, turning to look at both Will and Cecily. "In fact, I vow to stick by your side no matter what. I promise, on the angel."  
"I promise too." Cecily added.  
"We'll stay by your sides too, then." Charlie promised the Lovelace siblings.  
"Will?" Cecily queried, noticing the elder Herondale's silence.  
"I thought me promising was implicit." Will commented, making the others chuckle. "Of course I promise as well."

November, 2031:  
The three young adults walked together to the entrance of the manor's ballroom, where everyone else was waiting to start the wedding. Most were inside apart from the few pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen, as well as Jace to lead Charlie in and hand her over. From New York were Will, Cecily, and Amatis. Jordan was meant to, but couldn't for obvious reasons. There were also three Shadowhunters from Ros' friendship circle in Paris. Another of Ros' friends, a boy called Jacques Épéeuse, had thankfully agreed to lead Amatis into the ballroom. When the group saw the two Herondales and Lovelaces coming to the doorway, they all got ready to head in and start the ceremony. Amatis and Jacques were the first to head in, followed by the French couple then Will and Cecily entered the ballroom.  
"You know, your mother had the exact same look on her face when she was about to marry me." Jace commented, looking adoringly at his daughter. The comment made Charlie blush slightly, and she nervously fiddled with her dress, ensuring there were no wrinkles or folds. The dress showed off Charlie's runes and her natural beauty. Jace offered his arm to his daughter, who looped hers around it and took a deep breath as the pair stepped into the ballroom. Jace walked Charlie to the front of the room, where Ros and a Silent Brother stood. When Charlie was level with Ros, the two took each other's hands.  
"How are you feeling?" Ros asked Charlie quietly.  
"My stomach is so full of butterflies; it feels like one might fly out of my mouth." Charlie confessed. Ros smirked as an answer. Both young adults turned to the Silent Brother.  
"Shall we begin?" The Silent Brother asked Charlie and Ros. Both nodded. The ceremony began with Charlie and Ros exchanging gifts: Charlie gave Ros a necklace with an infinity sign made of gold and diamonds, whilst Ros gave Charlie a pair of bracelets adorned with runes of love and health. Under the oversight of the Silent Brother, Charlie and Ros placed the Wedded Union runes upon each other and the couple were bound. The final part of the ceremony was quintessentially mundane: Charlie and Ros sealed their vows with a kiss. The kiss was met with applause from the 'audience', but this faded into the background for the newlyweds. To them, the moment stretched until it was an eternity, with both feeling the greatest sense of elation they ever had. The ballroom was also the hall which the couple were to use as the room for their reception, so the seats were moved to the side around tables conjured by Magnus from elsewhere in the mansion. The various guests either sat or stood around, chatting. Soft music played in the background. Cecily and Will walked to the newlywed couple. Cecily pulled her parabatai into a tight hug, which was happily reciprocated by Charlie.  
"I'm so proud of both of you!" Cecily exclaimed.  
"Thank you so much." Charlie replied. "I knew you were supporting me the whole way through, both of you. You always have when I needed you."  
"And I always will." Cecily assured Charlie. "'Aught but death part thee and me', and all that."  
Charlie smiled. After Cecily stepped back, Will stepped forwards. After hugging Charlie, he turned to Ros.  
"My sister is one of the best people I know." Will stated. "Even if sometimes she can drive me insane. Remind her every day how special she is and how much you love her, because that's the least of what she deserves."  
Ros nodded and smiled.  
"I can promise that, Will, my brother-in-law." Ros promised.  
"Please, that's too wordy. Let's say brother instead." Will commented. "That is, if you don't mind."  
Ros smiled and nodded. Cecily pulled Will away, seeing that Clary and Jace wanted to talk to their daughter and new daughter-in-law. After their son and Cecily had walked away from the newlyweds, the two Herondale parents stepped forwards.  
"Look at you, Charlie." Jace started. "You've grown up so much."  
"We're incredibly proud of both of you;" Clary added. "Ros, could I speak to you separately for a moment?"  
Ros nodded and stepped aside with Clary.  
"Now, when Jace and I got married, my mum warned him about what would happen if hurt me. I'm sure you care for Charlie and don't want to hurt her. All the same, if you harm my daughter in any way, you'll have me and an entire family to answer to." Clary assured Ros.  
"I understand, Mrs Herondale. I'd never think of hurting Charlie. I love her too much for that" Ros promised.  
This made Clary smile.  
"I'm glad to hear that. It's Clary, by the way." Clary stated before walking with Ros back to Jace and Charlie. Ros and Charlie shared a quick kiss before turning back to the Herondale parents.  
"So, where is the first destination on the Herondale-Arcargent honeymoon?" Jace asked. (Ros and Charlie had decided to hyphenate after a lot of deliberation.)  
"We were thinking of going to London. That's the last place members of our families lived together." Charlie explained. "Plus, I've always wanted to see more of Europe than just Idris."  
Jace and Clary gave each other an understanding look; Charlie had actually visited Britain before, but she was only an infant when Clary and Jace had taken her.

May, 2015:  
It was mid-afternoon in Cardiff when Jace and Clary portalled in. The Cardiff Institute had been closed since the Dark War, and the two Herondale parents had been invited to take part in the ceremonial re-opening. The Lovelaces had agreed to care for Will but, as Clary was still had to nurse her, the couple had to bring Charlie with them. When Clary and Jace portalled into the Welsh Institute, they were immediately met by Gareth Deepvalley, who was to be the head of the Cardiff Institute after it was re-opened.  
"Ah, Mr and Mrs Herondale, it's an honour to meet you;" Gareth remarked. "Let me show you to your room for the night."  
Gareth lead Clary and Jace through the corridors of the Institute to a bedroom much like those in the New York Institute.  
"The ceremony is tomorrow morning. Until then, enjoy Cardiff and Wales." Gareth remarked. Clary and Jace thanked the Welsh Shadowhunter who turned and exited to oversee the final preparations for the ceremony. After Clary and Jace finally got Charlotte settled in the room, they spent the rest of the day exploring the Institute, not straying too far from the Institute in case Charlotte woke up again. That evening, Clary let Jana and Alwyn, Gareth's 2 year old daughter and son, respectively, coo over Charlotte (under her supervision, of course). Alwyn and Jana were twins, so didn't have an idea of having a younger sibling, and seeing the two young children play peek-a-boo with the baby Herondale made their father smile. Jace, who was sitting with Gareth and Cristyn (Gareth's wife), took note of this.  
"Does Charlie have any siblings?" Gareth asked Jace nonchalantly.  
"Yeah," Jace answered. "Will's just 10 months older than Charlotte. I don't think Charlotte could have a more loving elder brother, at least so far."  
Gareth and Cristyn smiled. Both Clary and Jace went to bed feeling exhausted. Apparently, so was Charlotte as she slept soundly the entire night.

The following morning, Clary and Jace were woken up by Charlie crying. They quickly realised this was due to numerous voices in the corridor. Jace checked the room's clock and saw that they had barely an hour before the ceremony began. The two prepared as quickly as they could. Charlotte wouldn't settle, so Clary carried her daughter as she and Jace got into the entrance hall just before the opening ceremony was to begin. The ceremony was brief, in traditional Shadowhunter fashion. Afterward, Clary excused herself so she could deal with Charlotte who was beginning to fidget, whilst Jace mingled with the other Shadowhunter guests.

November, 2031:  
After the Herondale parents had finished talking to Charlie and Ros, the newlyweds talked to a few of the other guests before they shared their first dance. Will watched his sister from a distance, sitting at the edge of the room. His mind wandered, as he also saw Amatis watching. She was sitting on her own, and Will's mind wandered to how it would be different if Jordan was there. Cecily was sitting next to her boyfriend and noticed his distant expression. Will's mixture of a smile and frown made Cecily realise what Will was thinking about.  
"Jordan would love today." Cecily commented, taking the Herondale's hands in hers.  
"We should go talk to Amatis and make sure she's alright." Will remarked. Cecily followed Will's line of sight and saw the reason for his concern. She nodded and walked with Will over to the young werewolf. As the two Shadowhunters reached Amatis, she looked up and gave a small smile.  
"Hi." Amatis greeted the two Shadowhunters. Both Cecily and Will responded similarly.  
"How are you?" Will asked the werewolf.  
"I'm good, actually." Amatis answered. "What about you two?"  
"We're both good. We just saw you looked lonely." Cecily explained.  
"Well, you needn't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine with my own company." Amatis stated.  
"Nobody should be alone at a wedding." Will retorted. Cecily leant in to whisper to Will.  
"Ask her to dance." Cecily instructed Will. Will looked at his girlfriend and raised his eyebrows, silently asking if Cecily was serious. The Lovelace nodded. The Herondale turned his head back to Amatis  
"Could I have this dance, Amatis?" Will asked. Amatis was speechless for a few moments.  
"Um, OK. I might step on your feet, though." Amatis apologised in advance.  
"I can take it." Will responded, holding his hand out to the werewolf. Amatis took it gingerly and walked to the dancefloor where there were various couples twirling around the floor. After watching Will and Amatis begin to dance, Cecily walked over to her parents.  
"Everything OK, Cec?" Simon asked his daughter. "Where's Will?"  
"Oh, he's dancing with Amatis at the moment." Cecily responded, adding that she had told him to when the parents looked at her confused. She sat and chatted with her parents for a while, until Will and Amatis had finished dancing. The wedding reception continued late into the night, with everyone feeling positive and the problems of the past disappearing, at least for now.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed that! As ever, please remember to review. Also, the next chapter is the last I have planned in this current run. However, I do have a few ideas of where this story could continue. Whether it does, however, is up to you guys. By the time this chapter is published, I will have put a poll up on my profile, asking whether you think this story should continue. I would love your feedback, be it through the poll or reviews, or even PMs. So, please take part and I look forward to hearing from you. The poll will be open until the second Saturday of March, though obviously you can still review and PM me after that point. Anyway, see you in the next chapter and, as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: …and Lovelace Letters**

November, 2031:  
A few days after the wedding, the Lovelace family and Will were still in Idris. Clary and Jace had to head back to New York to fulfil their duties as the Institute heads, but had agreed to let Will stay with the Lovelaces for the remainder of their visit to the Shadowhunter homeland. Charlie and Ros had also departed on their world tour/honeymoon. One particular day, near the end of the visit, Cecily and Will were walking through the streets of Alicante, hand in hand. Cecily stopped and Will turned to her.  
"What is it, Cec?" Will asked.  
"I want to get married, Will." Cecily stated, causing Will to look at her, speechless. "I know we wanted to wait until we were older. But, after seeing the love Ros and Charlie had for each other, I realised that I don't want to wait too long. We could get married today, and die tomorrow, but I'll die happy. I just need to be with you as more than just a boyfriend and girlfriend, or even fiancés."  
"Uh, well, we have a lot of planning, and we would have to tell our parents." Will responded, his voice returning and sounding flustered.  
"I know that it's a lot to take in." Cecily remarked. "I completely agree with you, that we have a lot of planning and that our parents need to be told."  
"Cecily, I would love to marry you." Will assured his fiancé, taking her free hand in his free hand. "I'm just afraid that, if we rush to get married, the day won't be perfect for you."  
This made Cecily smile appreciatively.  
"As long as you're there, and so are our families, anything will be perfect." Cecily remarked. Will was left speechless again, but leant forwards and kissed Cecily softly on the lips. Cecily gladly reciprocated the kiss.  
"We should get back." Cecily stated after the kiss finished. "My mum and dad probably want us home soon."  
Will nodded in agreement. The pair quickly headed back to the house where the Lovelaces and Will were lodging. When they got into the house, Simon and Izzy were sitting in the lounge.  
"Ah, we were wondering when you guys would get back." Simon stated.  
"What is it?" Cecily asked her parents, noticing both seemed worried about something.  
"Oh, well, we decided that it was time." Simon answered.  
"Time for what?" Both young adults asked. Simon and Izzy looked at each other and remembered something that happened a few days before the Shadowhunters came to Idris for the wedding.

3 weeks earlier:  
Simon and Isabelle sat together in one of the many corridors of the Institute. They were facing Jordan's bedroom, the door still sealed since Jordan's funeral.  
"We're going to have to do this at some point." Isabelle commented. "We need to put the past behind us."  
The two stood, and taking a deep breath, Simon opened the door to what used to be Jordan's bedroom. When they stepped inside, both were hit by a wave of memories from throughout Jordan's life. They looked around the room and picked up a few of Jordan's old belongings. Simon was running his hand along a shelf full of books when he accidentally knocked a book onto the floor. As the book fell a trio of other objects fell from the shelf as well. When they saw what the objects were, both Simon and Isabelle gasped.

3 weeks later:  
From a back pocket, Isabelle took two white envelopes and handed them to Cecily and Will. The enveloped were addressed to the individual young adults, in a handwriting that both Cecily and Will recognised after a few moments.  
"We found these letters in Jordan's room." Simon explained. "There was one addressed to your mum and I, then there were these two."  
Cecily and Will looked at the Lovelace parents then each other, both wearing an expression of pure shock.  
"It's up to you when you read it." Isabelle assured the pair. "We were just hesitating about giving them to you, because we were worried…"  
"Worried about what?" Cecily queried, confused.  
"You two were so distraught after Jordan passed away," Simon responded. "And we didn't want to throw you right back into that grief."  
Will and Cecily understood the parents' reasoning behind their apprehension, remembering what both had been like after Jordan's death.

Later, Will and Cecily were sitting in the house's sitting room. Simon and Isabelle had headed over to Robert's house so that Isabelle could catch up with her father. The pair were sitting in silence, thinking over the previous few weeks, as well as the fact they'd be returning to America the following day. Will took Jordan's letter to him from his jacket pocket. Cecily noticed this.  
"Will, are you sure about that?" Cecily asked her boyfriend. "Do you think you're ready to deal with whatever that letter contains?"  
"I don't think I ever will, but that's the point." Will commented. "If I leave it and not read it until later, the effects will be worse."  
Cecily smiled and nodded understandingly. She put her hands on Will's.  
"I'll be here for you, no matter what." Cecily assured Will. Will smiled back before turning to the letter. He carefully opened the envelope. He unfolded the letter and began to read. The letter read:

 _'Dear Will,  
If you're reading this, then I'm gone. Inevitably, it will have been in battle, and inevitably, you're going to be blaming yourself for my death. If you won't listen to your parents, or Charlie, or Cecily, or anyone else for that matter, then listen to me: my death, however it happened, isn't your fault. You need to live on, and if you blame yourself for my death, then that won't be the case. Perhaps, if this is a few weeks after what happened, you won't be blaming yourself as much, but I know you, and I know that, at least in the back of your mind, you're going to be blaming yourself, and I don't know how many times I will have to say this: it isn't your fault. One last request, Will from your parabatai, live on for me. Care for my sister, and your family. Enjoy every day as much as when I was alive. 'Stabit, et pugnare, my parabatai.  
Jordan'_

Reading the letter caused Will to tear up slightly. 'Stabit, et pugnare' was a Latin phrase that Will and Jordan used as a sort of motto between them. It roughly translated to 'Stand Up and Fight'. He put the letter down, and Cecily pulled her boyfriend into a comforting hug. Will hugged her back, though the tears cleared quickly. The letter did feel like closure. Despite the previous events which could have given him closure, the letter was what finally helped Will with the fact that Jordan was gone. This was probably because it was Jordan's words, and Will's parabatai had always had a way of communicating with the elder Herondale that nobody else had seemed to have cracked (much like his father was, according to Clary, Simon, and Isabelle). Will and Cecily separated, and looked at each other, trying to gauge the other's feelings.  
"Are you alright?" Both asked simultaneously. They both smiled at the synchronicity.  
"Seriously though, are you OK, Will?" Cecily asked again. Will wiped the last few tears from his eyes as he nodded.  
"Yes, I am, actually. For the first time in a while, I think I can say that honestly." Will replied. He leaned forward and kissed Cecily. When they split, the Lovelace was dazed for a moment.  
"What was that for?" Cecily asked.  
"You being you." Will responded. "And reminding me who I can be, and who I should be."  
This made Cecily smile and blush.  
"I didn't do anything, though." Cecily commented.  
"You didn't have too." Will replied. "I love you, Cecily, more than I could ever say."  
Cecily leaned forwards and kissed Will. For both of the young adults, time seemed to slow down to nearly a standstill. All that mattered to both Cecily and Will was the love that they felt for each other. When they separated for breath, both young adults cheeks were flushed.  
"I love you as well, Will." Cecily responded. "Some days, you're my only light in a world of shadow."  
Will reddened even more.  
"Are you going to read your letter?" Will asked Cecily.  
"I put it in my suitcase." Cecily confessed. "I was going to leave it until we got back to New York. At the moment, I just want to stay with you."  
Will nodded understandingly.  
"I promise to be there for you when you read it." Will assured Cecily.  
"I wouldn't expect it any other way." The Lovelace replied.  
The two sat for a while longer, enjoying the peaceful silence. The Lovelace parents returned a while later, and found Will and Cecily cuddled up on the sofa. Both had fallen asleep and looked incredibly peaceful.  
"I think our daughter has found the one for her." Isabelle commented quietly, as she looked at her daughter.  
"I think you might be right. Lord knows both Will and Cecily deserve love, after everything they've been through." Simon whispered as a response. Both Lovelace parents then turned and exited the room, leaving their daughter and adoptive nephew to their rest.

A few days later, The Lovelaces and Will returned to the New York Institute. When they arrived, they were greeted with open arms by the Herondale parents. They were happy to see their son home. The families quickly returned to their usual lives in New York.

January, 2032  
Cecily and Will were out waiting with Amatis for take away coffee from Java Jones, when there was a tap on Cecily's shoulder. The Lovelace turned to see Charlie standing there, smiling brightly. The younger Herondale was immediately pulled into a hug by her parabatai, then by her brother.  
"When did you get back?" Cecily asked Charlie, completely ecstatic to see her parabatai.  
"It was barely an hour ago." Charlie answered. "Ros and I are just passing through for a few days."  
Cecily nodded. After they had got their coffee, the young adults wandered back to the Institute. Charlie told a few stories of her and Ros' honeymoon: from sailing through Venice, to their weekend in the Caribbean. All of the other young adults were happy for Ros' and Charlie's happiness.  
"So, how were the last few months?" Charlie asked. Cecily and Will smiled at each other, and linked hands. On Cecily's finger was a new ring, alongside the promise ring.  
"So, have you made any decisions about where you'll be staying after your honeymoon?" Will asked his sister.  
"Well, I was eventually able to persuade Ros that we should live in New York, but she made a compromise." Charlie explained. "Half the year, we'll live in New York, and half the year, we'll live in Paris."

The young adults continued to chat as they walked back to the Institute, where they were met by Ros and the parents. Amatis said goodbye to the Shadowhunters before returning to Jocelyn's and Luke's house. Later, Charlie, Will, and Cecily sat on the front steps of the Institute, watching the bustle of the city they had called home for their entire lives.  
"It's weird to think how much happened over the last two years." Cecily commented, getting the Herondale siblings to look at her.  
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.  
"It was a year and a half ago that we first encountered Mortmain." Cecily explained. "This year has been incredibly hectic. We started as children, well, teenagers..."  
Cecily trailed off slightly.  
"And now we're adults." Will finished his fiancé's comment. "In a manner of speaking."  
Cecily nodded. All three were reminiscent of the past year or so, starting from when Will and Jordan trying to get a trebuchet into the weapon's room, all the way to that moment when they sat watching the world go by, sitting together, despite the gap in their ranks, as the family and old friends they had always been, and always would be.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review. Now, this marks the end of the potentially first bit of this story. As I've mentioned before, there is a poll on my profile so that you can give your opinion whether you want this story to continue. So, this might not be the last time, but all the same, thank you so much for your support throughout this story. It's been quite a ride, and I've enjoyed writing every bit of it (well, not every bit (I hate killing characters)). And (Possibly for the last time in this story), as always,**

 **Keep on Reading  
-ToAC**


	19. Story Update: The Last Chapter (Kind of)

Hey, this a is a quick update to let you know what's going on. On the recommendation of some other fanfic authors, I am going to mark this story as complete. However, I am writing a sequel to this. I should be publishing it in the next couple days or so, and it's going to be called 'Finding their Future'. It will say in the summary that it is a sequel to this story, so don't worry about remembering that!

Hopefully, I'll see you there, and for the last time in this story (sort of),  
Keep on Reading  
-ToAC


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